#and ricky tried his best to keep that balance of being her friend while also struggling to keep nini in his life

[kinsey3furry300]

My (very late) take on Ricky “Jupe” Park from Nope.

So, when I was a small child, my sister and I were taken to a local museum by my father and it was a wholesome and fun day out for all the family EXEPT FOR THE BADLY TAXIDERMIED WHALE SHARK HANGING FROM THE CEALLING MY GOD WHAT WAS THAT THING?! It was huge, it looked and smelt terrible, the room was poorly lit and crowded and decorated to look like the bottom of the sea and you had this thing with it’s huge open maw hanging right over you all the time. I distinctly remember that I couldn’t look. I could not look. Between the, the ocean episode of walking with dinosaurs, the underwater segment of myst, and fucking books like this that were everywhere in the 90’s!

Fuck you Nigel Marven and Jasper James, Fuck you.

…both me and my sister developed a lifelong fear of being eaten alive by giant, aquatic-type monsters. And because it was advertised and a film about a brother and sister fighting off little green men, and not advertised as a film where 40 people get fucking vored by a flying Portuguese man of war, me and my sister saw Nope together in the cinema and ohhh boy 1, did I catch shit from her about it, to this day, and 2, while I love that film, it scared the shit out of me. It scared me so badly I tried not to think about it until I plucked up the courage to re-watch it this weekend.  So I’m a little late to the party, but speaking on behalf of people terrified of being gobbled up by ever-present sky-sharks (you know they’re there prove me wrong!), I’d like to talk about Jupe.

How was this not a best Supporting Actor win? Give him all the awards!

I’ve seen a surprising amount of commentary say that he’s an idiot for endangering and getting all those people killed, and that he deserves his fate, and while there is a little element of truth to the first part, I can’t fathom the second. One, no, no one deserves that and two… Do, do you guys know how story strucure works? Jupe is a foil for OJ. His life and arc mirrors OJ to a surprising degree: they’re both people of colour working in a white-dominated Hollywood system who have been held back by, or are stereotyped because of, their race. They both witness “a bad Miracle” that’s starts with a strange popping/crunching noise (the balloon for Jupe, Jean Jacket regurgitating indigestible items above them for OJ), that results in death, where a seemingly imposable thing happens (a coin falls from an empty sky, a shoe balances perfectly on one end) and where they are spared death because they don’t look the danger in the eye (Jupe has the table cloth between him and the chimp, OJ looks around whereas Ottis senior looks up and so is hit in his unprotected eye), and are traumatized. Both deal with the trauma badly, and surround themselves with constant reminders of it (Jupe’s Gordy shrine, OJ’s horses and ranch. I mean he keeps the fucking coin!). Both try to commodify and sell their trauma for fame and fortune (the paid tours of the Gordy shrine, getting that “Oprah shot”). Both also want to use Jean Jacket to reclaim the heritage that the film and TV industry has taken from them (OJ wants to save the ranch and memorialize his family’s role in the invention of film, Jupe wants to be remembered for the Starlight Lasso and not just as that Asian kid who survived a chimp attack, for taming the beast, not just surviving it). Both unwittingly train JJ to attack humans (Jupe by teaching it to associate people and music with food, OJ by putting it off horsemeat by feeding it a decoy). Both are a bit greedy, and kind of disrespectful to the dead, and nether Get Out (couldn’t resist sorry) when they should. Both put their family, friends and strangers in danger to get their payday, and both get at least one person killed doing it.

So why does the film kill Jupe and his family in such a hilariously awful way, but spare OJ and Em (and Angel: we love you Angel)? What’s Jupes fatal flaw, that greek tragic hubris that dooms him and that separates him from OJ? Why is he the one who gets vored by an angry stetson? Is it a eat the rich narrative? A critique of the idea of Asian Americans as the “Ideal minority?”. Is it killing off the comic relif, or just done for shock value? No, I don’t think Jordan Peele would be that heavy handed or un-imaginative. I think it’s something far more clever.

It’s this: from an early age, Jupe was trained to perform, whereas OJ was trained to handle performing horses. OJ thinks about how to safely provide the spectacle, whereas Jupe was trained to be the spectacle. OJ communicates with Angel in clicks and gestures without realising: OJ’s internalised how to talk to horses, how to use body-language. But Jupe...His plan, upon finding out that there’s a UAP flying around his home is to build and stage and make it into a rodeo attraction. That’s not a sane person’s reaction, that’s how Homer Simpson would try and Monetize first contact with alien life. That’s how Peter Griffin or BoJack Horseman would treat ET…. That how a 90’s sitcom character, who never got over that one role, would treat the situation.

Every time a name is mentioned in the chapter titles of Nope, the living being it refers to dies… except the title card “Lucky.” The horse (so long as the final shot is real and not Em hallucinating) lives. It (and OJ) makes it out. But then again….

Jupe probably thought of himself as Lucky, after the Gordy incident. He was probably told time and time again that he was Lucky, until he internalized it. He learnt the wrong lessons from the experience, he learnt that he not only needed to perform, but that he was special. “You’re’ chosen.” He learnt that he needed to perform, to be a spectacle, to survive a horrible industry that swallows people whole and chews them up and spits them out and occasionally has animal control shoot its stars dead if they go of script. He was conditioned, and trained, from an early age to treat everything that ever happened to him as part of a performance, until he can only talk about his own trauma in terms of how good the SNL take on it was.

And like every other trained living being taken from their natural habitat and forced out on stage as spectacle in this film, his training fails him at the worst possible time.

He’s “Lucky”, and he’s tragic, and he’s just another victim of spectacle, and that’s the scariest part of the film. ...Other than the FUCKING MURDER PANCAKE IN THE SKY OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?

[donutcats]

rewatching s2 rina scenes and I think I’ve somehow converted myself into the mindset of ‘ricky doesn’t have anything to apologize for since it was just a bunch of moments of two kids having very complicated feelings and not fully understanding how to handle them’

[hearteyesbowen]

practicing lines II ☆ ricky bowen

the theatre kids suspect something is going on between y/n and ricky hours before their first performance

warnings: we love angst, some swearing, fluff, kinda long

part I, part II

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

“Don’t worry, I got you. You’re doing great, babe!” Ricky cheered behind you as his hands hovered over your waist.

It’s been a week since your shared moment at the El Ray Theatre, and you both couldn’t be separated. You tried to spend as much time together to make up for all the fighting you had for months. You and Ricky were on another mini adventure you two would like to have. Yesterday, you taught Ricky how to play the ukelele, now it was his turn to teach you something.

Ricky was teaching you how to skateboard on his street, something he’s always wanted to do with Nini but she was too scared of. You were grateful he offered to teach you, but you never thought how overprotective he would be. I mean, he basically wanted to cover you entirely in bubble wrap so you wouldn’t bruise yourself, but you only wore knee-pads. You started off slow; you practiced balancing on the board first, then you would stand on top and Ricky would hold your waist as you moved as slowly as possible. He didn’t want to let you go out of fear that you would fall off and break a bone. You managed to convince him to let you start skating on your own, with him still there to catch you when you inevitability fall over.

“Ok, Ricky, I think you can let go now.” You giggled as he wouldn’t let you go faster than walking speed.

“No can do, you’re clumsy as hell.” He argued, stopping you completely.

You shuffled on the skateboard to face him, giving him a playful glare. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, you’re a klutz.” He smirked.

“Oh yeah? Prove it.”

Ricky wasted no time in attacking your lips with his. Your hands quickly tangled in his hair while his gripped your hips. You were so caught up in the kiss that when you leaned forward you tripped off the skateboard. The board flipped over and Ricky expertly grabbed your waist before you could fall, and he brought you back on your feet.

“See what I mean?” He beamed, pinching your cheek.

You rolled your eyes jokingly as you pushed his chest, grabbing the knocked over skateboard and began walking back towards Ricky’s house.

He laughed, jogging up to you and grabbed your hand, and intertwined your fingers together. “So when is the next time I can take my Gabriella on another date?”

“I don’t know, maybe you should let your best friend know what’s going on between us first before you take me out again.” You replied, giving him a nod towards Big Red’s house that we were just passing.

“You want me to tell Red what we are?” He asked confusingly. We both stopped walking and stood in front of his lawn.

“What are we?” You wondered.

“What do you want to be?” He asked in a similar tone.

“What do you-”

“Hey guys!” You heard Red scream from beside you.

You both turned your head and saw the adorable redhead close the wooden door behind him before he ran up to the both of you. As far as you knew, Red only knows that you both settled your differences and grew to be friends, but nothing else. You knew Ricky hated to keep secrets, especially from his best friend, but he didn’t know how to tell Red that he was going on dates with his past enemy. Would Red judge you two? Ricky didn’t want to know.

“What are you two up to?” Red asked cheerfully, doing a handshake with Ricky and giving you a small fist bump.

“I was teaching her how to skate so she can ride with us in the morning.” Ricky joked, making all of you share a laugh.

“That would be so cool. So when are you going to tell everyone that you’re dating now?” He asked nonchalantly. You both froze and stared at each other with wide eyes. “I mean, come on, it’s obvious you two aren’t just friends anymore. Especially after that afternoon at the El Ray.”

“Does everyone know?” You asked worryingly.

“Everyone has their speculations; some thought you hooked up, some thought you just talked to each other, and some thought you punched Ricky in the throat which is why he had makeup on his neck.” He smirked.

“Makes sense.” You and Ricky said in unison.

“I don’t think you two should be scared to show that you’re dating. You should be happy that you have each other now. Miss Jenn is going to love that news the most.” He said, giving you both a reassuring smile. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow before the show.”

Red ran back to his house, leaving you both alone to think about what he said.

“You know,” Ricky started, “I wouldn’t mind letting everyone know you’re mine. Now all the guys at school can stop checking you out.”

“People check me out?” You questioned.

“What? I didn’t say anything.” He smiled smugly, grabbing your hand again and walking back to his house.

➢➣ ➢➣

“Ashlyn, can you run ‘Breaking Free’ with Ricky and Y/N?” Miss Jenn asked politely as she quickly inspected the costumes Kourtney left on the costume rack.

It was the night of the show, and everyone on and off stage couldn’t have been more nervous. Nini and Ej were practicing their lines together, Carlos tried to help Kourtney learn the dance work that was originally written for Gina, and Seb was trying to set his makeup that Kourtney did so it wouldn’t run.

You turned to look at Ashlyn who was giving you a cheeky smile. You both rushed to the piano, giggling as she sat down and quickly warmed up. You leaned against the large instrument, soon to be met with Ricky. He snaked his arm around your waist and handed you your shared music sheets. Ashlyn noticed his action and held back her growing smile.

“Let’s begin, shall we?” She squealed.

She began to play the keys, beautifully executing all the perfect notes written in her music. She hummed along with the tune and nodded at Ricky to give him his queue.

“We’re soarin’, flyin’, there’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach.” Ricky began to sing, looking directly into your eyes.

“If we’re trying, so we’re breaking free.” You sang, giving him a playful nudge.

You and Ricky continued to sing the rest of the song, earning mixed reactions from your cast mates. While they were all really excited to see that you and Ricky lost the violence towards each other, they couldn’t help but wonder what had happened, especially EJ.

You both could tell that EJ was pretty disappointed to learn that he and Nini couldn’t get the roles for Troy and Gabriella. He would have gotten over it if it wasn’t Ricky who got the part for the sole reason that he wanted to win back Nini. As for you, EJ didn’t exactly have an opinion on you until he saw how you and Ricky acted towards each other. He believed that he and Nini could have played the parts better, but he couldn’t do anything about it anymore.

“You know the world can see us, in a way, that’s different from who we, are.” You two harmonized, finishing the song.

Carlos and Seb started to clap which then erupted more cheers from your other friends, making you blush. Ricky chuckled and brought you into his chest, kissing the top of your head. The most excited to see this change in action was Miss Jenn.

“That was incredible! Your chemistry together was absolutely phenomenal! What changed?” She wondered excitedly.

“Yeah, what did happen? Less than a week ago you two were at each other’s throats. Did something go on between the two of you?” EJ glared. The rest of your friends backed away, leaving you, Ricky, Nini, EJ, Carlos, and Miss Jenn.

“I’m sorry, is there a problem?” Ricky argued, taking a step towards EJ.

EJ followed his actions and stood directly in front of Ricky, “Yeah, two people who have hated each other for months don’t just become besties overnight. This is all just an act to kiss up to Miss Jenn so she would stop getting mad at you two for fighting all the time.”

“Shut up, EJ. Just because you’re mad that I got the part of Troy doesn’t mean you have to be a dick to us too. Nini didn’t care at all, in fact, she was so happy for us. So how about you mind your business, I’m not desperately trying to ruin your relationship.” Ricky fought back.

“Anymore?” EJ countered.

Nini was quick to go to his side and squeeze his arm, “Relax, EJ, people can change for the better. You guys sound awesome together!” She cheered, giving you a tight hug and quick hug to Ricky.

“Boys, let’s stay professional, please. You can fight outside my theatre. We have a show to perform in two hours! Let’s all get our scripts and run ‘Stick to the Status Quo’ one last time!” Miss Jenn screamed to the rest of the students.

You looked up at Ricky who’s glare was set straight at EJ, who also gave a mirrored look. Ricky put his focus back on you and walked you to the hallway.

➢➣ ➢➣

Your show, the performance that took you all months to prepare and perfect, had just ended. You and your friends could not have been more happy and relieved the moment you all bowed. All of your castmates ran backstage together, laughing and crying over how proud they were of each other. You and the rest of the girls went into a tight circle for one big group hug. You all had tears forming in your eyes from looking at Gina, who had surprisingly showed up just in time to perform as Taylor. Compliments were being thrown by everyone to each other, a lot of them focused on yours and Ricky’s slightly improvised duet, making your stomach churn at the memory.

You had a different performance than you thought you would have. You thought your show was going great; you haven’t missed a line, sang every note perfectly, and not once did you get any stage fright. Then it was the scene where Gabriella meets Troy in the basketball court and you lost all confidence.

Ricky believed his show was far from perfect. He believed that once he saw his parents together again, he would perform perfectly, also because you would be there with him. Then he was lifted up into the air and all he could see was his mother hugging another man who he immediately knew was her new boyfriend, and all went downhill. He ran off stage and tried to calm himself down. He did run into you, and when you tried to calm him down and ask what happened he bursted at you to leave him alone. He was angry at himself for not telling you what happened, but he didn’t know what to do.

The girls continues to cheer for each other on their performances, but all that was in your mind was everything that happened on that stage. Anger, confusion, and embarrassment filled your head.

You watched Ricky from the side of the curtains with one of the stage managers. You couldn’t contain the smile on your face as you watched him sing and dance. Then when he was lifted in the air, you saw him get choked up. You didn’t know what changed in his actions. You wanted to go out there and help him once he got down, but he had already messed up his lines and ran out. You instantly ran backstage and bumped into Ricky.

“Hey, what happened?” You asked worryingly.

“Not now.” He grumbled.

You stood back and stared at him, “Ricky, what happened? Is there anything I can do-”

“Fuck off, Y/N. I said not now.” He screamed before running out the door.

Your heart instantly broke. All the dancers who just finished their scene were there to witness it. Kourtney ran up to you and squeezed you in a tight hug before she helped motion you to the costume rack to quickly change for your next scene with Ricky.

“Wow, so this is your real stage.” You recite as you walk to the center of the basketball court where you held your show. You held in your anxiety as you were scared to face Ricky after he yelled at you.

You stop in your tracks as you noticed EJ in Ricky’s costume, smiling widely and holding a basketball in his hands. You could have sworn you were dreaming, or that this was a terrible nightmare.

“Guess you could call it that, or just a smelly gym.” EJ joked, giving you a small nod as if to play along.

You stepped closer to him and grabbed his forearm, whispering “What’s going on, where’s Ricky?”

“You’re not the only one who’s dreading this.” He softly whispered as he tossed you the basketball. Your hands began to shake as you looked at the hoop and threw the ball without a thought. You missed the shot and EJ was quick to grab the ball, “Woah, don’t tell me your good at hoops too.”

The rest of the scene played on, and when you knew it was safe, you ran off stage and tried to look for Ricky. You ran around hopelessly, hoping you could find an answer. You met up with Nini who was getting her hair fixed.

“Nini, why is EJ out there as Troy and where did Ricky go?” You asked hurriedly.

“We don’t know what happened to Ricky, after the big basketball scene he was shaking and left for a few minutes. When I saw EJ, he told me that Ricky had to go and gave his part to him. I’m so sorry Ricky didn’t tell you.” She answered, giving you a genuine look.

You still had to finish the show, and when it was time for “Breaking Free,” you instantly wanted to leave. You smoothed out your large lab coat that Gabriella wore and met up with EJ at center stage.

He began to sing, acting as though you two were lovers, though you could notice the discomfort in his eyes. Your throat went dry and you started to feel a headache.

“I can’t do it EJ-Troy. Not with all these people staring at me.” You stuttered.

“Look at me, Gabby,” Ej put his hand on your shoulder, “right at me. Like the first time we sang together. Like kindergarten, remember?”

You heard the gym doors open and looked to the side to see Ricky and Gina walk in together. They stood next to each other and watched you and EJ. You couldn’t help but stare at them, and EJ met your gaze.

“Go, you know what to do.” He whispered as he covered the microphone as to not let anyone else hear. You gave him a nod and sped to Ricky, singing the rest of the song and bringing him along with you. Although you acted as if you were better, you couldn’t forget the anger you felt.

You snapped back to reality and shook your head. You didn’t notice how Ricky’s eyes never left you. He and the guys were huddled close to each other. Ricky tried to focus on his friends and pay attention to what they were saying, but he could only think of you. He needed you to hold him, primarily after seeing his parents show up along with his mother’s new boyfriend.

Carlos ran up to you and brought you into a tight hug. As you congratulated Carlos on performing as Chad for five minutes and writing amazing choreography for the dance numbers, you felt a tap on your shoulder. You turned around to see Ricky. You let out a soft gasp ( Carlos nearly screamed ) when you saw he had bought a large bouquet of red roses and pink peonies, all perfectly bloomed and strung together.

“Can we talk in the dressing room?” He asked shyly, offering you the bouquet. You hesitated to hold them, but caved in.

“Ok.” You replied. You gave Carlos a quick hug and he squeezed your hand before you walked off with Ricky.

➢➣ ➢➣

“I know you must be so mad at me right now-”

“Wow, how did you know?” You asked angrily as you placed the flowers on top of the makeup counter.

You had found the changing room and locked the door as you didn’t want anyone to walk in on you two. Not because you two were going to do anything cheeky, but because you swore you would have slapped Ricky if he tried to apologize to you.

“I can explain.” He pleaded, trying to grab at your hands but you pulled them away from him.

“Don’t.” You started, “My god, Ricky, if I didn’t know any better I should have listened to EJ when he said this was all an act!”

“You really think that?” Ricky asked, he, himself, getting angry as well. “You think that this past week and that night at the El Ray was all fake?”

“I don’t know what I should believe because you told me you would always be there for me but you were so quick to almost leave the show without telling me what happened. At least EJ told me when he was leaving. If you could at least talk to me about what happened instead of basically telling me to fuck off then maybe I wouldn’t be so mad and would just believe you.” You screamed as you felt your face burn up.

Ricky looked at you in fear and sorrow. He didn’t know how to express his emotions well enough anymore. “Y/N,” You looked up at him and saw his lip quiver, “You know I’m so sorry about this. I just don’t know what to do.”

You could tell he was about to explode any second, “I know.” You murmured. “I just want you to talk to me. I’ll listen to everything that happened. I want to help you but you just shut me out. I thought we were past all the negative stuff between us.”

“My mom came with her new boyfriend, and she didn’t tell me but she thought it was a good idea for us to meet.” He rushed, “When I ran out after you tried to help me, she met me in the hallway outside the gym and tried to talk to me but I just yelled at her. She doesn’t realize how much this whole transition is affecting me and how fast she moved on is making me feel. It’s like she doesn’t care about my dad and I anymore.

“But frankly, I would have gotten over this whole bullshit. I don’t really care about Todd, you know? I would have gone back home with my dad and just laugh about this some other day but I’m so angry because I took out my anger on you. I was so mad and hysterical that I couldn’t be more stupid than to yell at you for trying to help me. I keep pushing people out of my life because I’m so fucking stupid. I lost Nini because I can’t express my emotions, I lost my mom because I couldn’t hold in my emotions, and I lost you because I don’t know what to do with my emotions.” He cried out.

You hesitantly took a step closer to Ricky and grabbed his face to gently wipe the tears that started to quickly rush down his heated face. You calmly fixed his hair and his collar, and he looked at you breathlessly. You pat his chest and took a small step back to look at him again.

“I’m sorry that this is happening, Ricky. You know I would have listened to you if you would have just let me help you. But you pushed me away and now I don’t know what to do.” You said.

“I’m sorry, Y/N, I shouldn’t have yelled at you. And I should have just told you what happened. This is all my fault. I’m literally the biggest dumbass.” He whispered, looking down at the floor.

“You are a dumbass, Ricky. You made me feel like we were back to how we used to be. I thought that everything between us was going to be good. EJ was right, I was stupid enough to think that maybe we could have been friends, or more.” You admitted.

“No, don’t say that. You’re not stupid for thinking that.” He pleaded.

“Then what am I supposed to think?” You screamed.

“I love you.” He yelled back. You could have sworn you almost tripped. “I’ve loved you ever since I heard you sing ‘Start of Something New’ for your audition. I’ve loved you since I was sick during rehearsal and no one wanted to help me, but you threw a tissue box at me because you were still a nice person. I’ve loved you since we spent that night in the closet at the El Ray and we kissed. I’ve loved you since you taught me how to play the ukelele and I helped you ride a skateboard. I’ve loved you for so long and I’ve kicked myself every day since then because I didn’t say it over my own fears. But I do, I love you. And I don’t really know what happens tomorrow, or in two minutes when we walk out that door. All I know is, I want this feeling to keep going. Because this whole experience, I-I’m not ready for it to be over. For us to be, I mean.”

Your eyes welled up with tears. Never in your life have you ever been left so speechless, not even during the show or when he yelled at you. You knew you couldn’t stay mad at Ricky, as much as you wanted to. You did love him, and even if your ego didn’t want to admit it, you did. You loved Ricky Bowen.

You closed the space between each other and grabbed Ricky’s face in your hands. You attacked his lips with yours and he almost instantly kissed you back. You felt a totally new feeling when you kissed him this time. Almost as if you released all the pent up emotions you have held in for a long time. Your arms moved to around his neck and his went to your waist. You pulled away from him and heard a small whimper escape his mouth.

“I love you, Ricky Bowen.” You gushed. His eyes lightly widened along with his lips.

Ricky smashed his lips back to yours again. His smile grew wide into the kiss and he gripped your waist even tighter to pull you closer. You played with his hair and gave it a small tug, making Ricky let out a small groan. You detached your lips from his to look at him one more time. His cheeks were a deep shade of red and his lips were swollen. He couldn’t have looked more perfect to you.

His hands went under your butt and picked you up, bringing you on top of the counter and next to your flowers. He stood in between your legs and continued to kiss you. He detached his lips from yours and started to sprinkle kisses all over your face, starting at your cheeks, your nose, and all the way down your neck. You giggled at his excitement. You brought his face from your neck and in front of you to look at him. His eyes glowed, and you both took time to catch your breath again.

“Be mine.” Ricky whispered.

“What?” You asked hopefully.

“Be my girlfriend. I promise you won’t regret it.” He pleaded.

You let out a small laugh, “Yes, Ricky.”

Ricky let out a large cheer. He pulled you back in for a tight hug and lifted you off the counter and in the air while spinning around. He kept you up for a bit and you couldn’t stop laughing from how cute he was.

He put you down and quickly kissed your lips one last time, holding either side of your face. He pulled away and held your hand, picking up your flowers and letting you lead him to the door. You unlocked and opened it to reveal Red and Ashlyn holding hands.

“Hey guys, everything alright?” Red asked with a big smile after seeing the large bouquet.

“Yeah, everything is perfect.” Ricky smiled as he looked down at you, and you gave him a short kiss on his cheek.

“That’s cute. Well, everyone is looking for you two. I’m hosting a cast party at my house tonight and we’re about to head out. We’re just waiting on you two so we can take some group photos.” Ashlyn announced.

You tightened your grip on Ricky’s hand and brought it closer to you, “Sounds great, we can go right now.”

“Awesome, and, uh, Ricky?” Red spoke.

Ricky’s attention left yours and went to his best friend. “Yeah?”

“Maybe take off that lip gloss you have on before we go out there?” Ashlyn smirked as she sent you a sly wink before walking out with Red.

You glanced up at Ricky and saw your shiny, peach lip gloss stained his lips, and you couldn’t hold in your laughter. You grabbed a wipe from the makeup counter and gave it to your new boyfriend.

“How embarrassing!” He cried out, harshly wiping his mouth.

“There will be more where that came from, babe.” You beamed.

A/N - boom, the second part to practicing lines . probably my favorite imagine that i have ! let me know what u guys think !! love y’all xx

[keiscait]

hii ♡!¡ how are you? you feel good? i hope you have a beautiful day/afternoon/night

i could ask you for a living room matchup ( of course if you don't mind ) , i'm going to be honest it really seems like a very, very good idea, i love how you thought everything.

okay, i'm she/her, bisexual, i was never in a relationship with someone, but i think i would try to make my partner feel comfortable and can trust me not to be afraid of being judged.

i am too dramatic and stubborn a person, i acted before thinking and when i make a mistake i ask for forgiveness all the time, i think a lot about things even in the minims.

when some friend shows me their affection i get very happy, i'm ashamed to be the center of attention, i'm introverted.

i can change my mood very quickly, i am optimistic with others but pessimistic with myself, when i become insecure i tend to be very sensitive or reserved.

when i'm going through a bad time I prefer to be alone why do I get tense if there is someone with me for being afraid of treating them badly.

i really like comfortable clothes, like big sweaters or big shirts, i like the cold, the rain, the night, look at the stars and i adore deep talks, i like to feel in a comfortable and safe environment <33, it also relaxes me to meditate but I almost always end up sleeping, i like to have my area tidy (i'm not that perfectionist) i think I love sticking my head out in the car while listening to music.

i do not like sports or any physical activity, i hate homophobic and racist people, i don't like little kids i always treat them well and they get very attached to me but i don't know what to do in situations when they start to cry and i can't put the shoe on them when they drop ( it always happens to me and i was very stupid ) i don't like to see people mad at me, i don't like being treated badly or ignored (i'm very sensitive)

my sign is aquarius, rising in taurus

i am looking for a partner that we feel comfortable, that we have in-depth talks about theories or mystery cases, that we watch plot twist movies, that we are not afraid to be who we are, i would find someone to give me words of affirmation and physical contact like hugs, that there is no jealousy in the relationship, that we can spend time with our friends.

that them can trust me and tell me what is wrong with them or why them feels bad or insecure. i would love that we can go to those places where you are in the car and you see a movie (i don't remember how they called that place srry) let it be at night and let's dance any music.

i am in crisis with my hogwarts house why almost everyone says i am a hufflepuff but sometimes i have qualities of a ravenclaw,

i don't really know what to think about my future, but my dreams would be to become a better person and always offer a hand to anyone who feels bad, i would like my future to be like the style of clothing and life i want, to be able to go to a forest or a lake and have picnics, help an animal that is sick like a bird or a deer.

in appearance i am a little chubby, my hair is brown it is not so long but not so short, i have moles on my face and almost all on my body, i'm 1.62

i have no problem in music style, but I prefer those that are more calm or depressing.

to make it easy for you some of my favorite songs are ;;

- show me how - men i trust

- sparks - coldplay

- line without a hook - ricky montgomery

- flawless - the neighbourhood

i highly recommend them

thaank you very much for reading seriously ♡!¡, sorry for my english is that it is not my first language :((

Hello and welcome, sweetheart! Don’t worry, you communicated perfectly. Everyone is welcome here in my home. (੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* Let’s head to the living room! ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

Look who I’ve invited over for you!

Ojiro Aran! (Runner up: Kunimi Akira)

Aran here is one of the most calm and intelligent characters in the show. He’s excellent at reading people, and quickly adapts to situations. He doesn’t participate in the chaos despite being used to it, and is usually seen just looking on. On the other hand, he can easily be misunderstood as stoic, but in fact, he really is in touch with emotions, even those of others. Has a lot of faith in the people he loves, is a great supporter, and he always sees the best in things.

- Aran is one of the few characters in the show who I feel wouldn’t freak out when he finds out you’ve never been in a relationship, and will instead want to give you the best that he possibly can

- Also one of the few characters that won’t mind that you don’t like sports, and will not force it on you

- Will build trust through comfort and acceptance, so neither of you will have to worry about judgment in the relationship

- Can handle your ups and downs calmly, and will respect whatever your wishes are for when times are bad. He just needs you to communicate your needs, and you got it!

- Knows how to quell your overthinking. He will keep you in a safe space, and makes sure you know this so that you don’t get to the point of imploding

- you guys would be amazing at problem-solving. He would balance out your mood swings, and keeps you grounded by basically supervising your habit of acting before thinking. Plus he won’t make you feel bad for this, he just knows this is how you are. This man sets the bar so high when it comes to acceptance and understanding

- intellectual conversations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Mom and dad 🥺 pls be my parents

- like seriously, I picture you both at the breakfast table, him with a newspaper in hand and a cup of coffee, while you’re telling him about the new birdbath in your front yard. PLS MAKE A TV SHOW ABOUT YOUR DOMESTIC FUTURE, PARENTS 🥺

~

You were in the passenger seat of Aran’s car, on the way home from the drive-in theater. You held hands as he drove, The Neighborhood setting the mood for this wonderful calm that blanketed the both of you. 

“Did you enjoy today?” he sneaks a peek in your direction. You could see the faintest pink in his cheeks. Everything felt so new yet so comfortable.

“I really did. I’m still thinking about that ending, I would never have seen it coming!” you told him for what seems like the 10th time that night. He let out a chuckle and admired the twinkle in your eye. He looked forward and you fall back into the silence.

“I was thinking,” he tried, and you could hear some nerves leak out of his words, “I’d like to see you again. Soon, if that’s okay.” 

You observed him a little while and smiled, trying to come up with a response, before he continued, “Real soon. Maybe even tomorrow...and the day after that, too...” he trailed off, before pulling up in front of your house.

“Aran, you’re rambling. This is unlike you,” you humored. He shrugged. You couldn’t hold back the blood rushing to your cheeks before saying, “Yes, I’d like that too.”

He sighed, seeming like he had been holding his breath for a while. “Great.” He shot you a smile that made you wish for a hundred more nights like this.

“I’ll call you tonight. Tell me more theories you have about the movie.” He kissed the back of your hand before letting go.

Needless to say this was the most perfect first date you could’ve ever asked for.

~

Sorry this was a bit short, hon! I wanted to keep it simple and pure 😌 I hope I still met your expectations. Please don’t hesitate to drop by and chat with me again soon <3

Thanks for stopping by! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

[teflonsos]

⌠ MIGUEL HERRAN, 21, CISMALE, HE/HIM ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, RICARDO ‘RICKY’ ALONSO! according to their records, they’re a FIRST year, specializing in DRIVER’S ED; and they DID NOT go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (5 a.m. cigarettes after a sleepless night, the smell of burning rubber after driving so fast you break the sound barrier, cheap vodka in an expensive shotglass, scraped knees and elbows from reckless parkour). when it’s the (scorpio)’s birthday on 11/04/98, they always request their CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation. ⌿ kati, 23, est, she/her ⍀ @gallagherintro

STATS / PINTEREST / CONNECTIONS / CLASSES

INSPIRATION.

fernando alonso – formula 1

james hunt – formula 1

jp – redline

peter quill – guardians of the galaxy 

emmett cullen – twilight

mercutio – romeo & juliet

han solo – star wars

charlie pace – lost

vert wheeler – acceleracers 

BACKGROUND + CLICK FOR FULL BIO.

when ricky is born, there are expectations as the firstborn male but they are expectations that ricky refuses to meet. he’s stubborn, insolent, and straight up annoying. his dad is mysteriously never around and his mother suffers from chronic illness, so he generally has free range of the house and...free range to harass and drive out nanny after nanny

his younger sister is the balancing force in his life, proper in all the ways that he’s a mess and polite in all the ways that he’s uncouth. however, they get along really well and she’s his best friend in an otherwise large, empty house.

as he gets older, his father’s comings and goings are more noticeable to ricky and he realizes that he doesn’t really understand what his dad’s job actually is? and his father won’t answer his questions about it either. one night, when ricky is about ten years old, he sneaks downstairs to find his father covered in blood. at first he screams until he realizes, that’s not his father’s blood – it’s someone else’s.

put the pieces together, his dad is a blackthorne alumn, assassin, and...brotherhood member. 

ricky doesn’t really get the chance to be close with his parents, but he is super close with his grandfather. his grandfather is a big man with a full laugh who used to race formula one like, back in the sixties. he’s a big name, and ricky wants to be like him, and his grandfather is the one that gets ricky really into the sport. racing. 

ricky starts off by racing t cars, and when he’s fourteen and sneaking out to the track with his sister, things go awry. they’re stopped and kidnapped by brotherhood members. from conversations by the kidnappers, he can surmise that his father has something to upset the brotherhood and the kidnapping is a move to keep his father in his place. ricky have to listen to his father tell the kidnappers he doesn’t give a fuck about him (likely a bluff, but still stings) over the phone.

ricky’s father’s move doesn’t work, and he doesn’t get to them in time. ricky has to beg on the phone for his life. a gunshot rings out. everything else is a blur.

ricky wakes up the next day with a million questions, but there’s one answer: his sister will never walk again. a gunshot has left her without the use of her legs, but otherwise she’ll make a full recovery. she encourages ricky to continue his racing and tells him how much she believes in him.

he takes home trophies year after year while t car racing and people start to learn ricky’s name, to see him as an up and comer as they associate him with his grandfather. the next four years are hard work, but he’s healing from trauma with a new passion and a great support system.

ate age 19, he’s on the podium after his third formula three race, and he wins the championship, raining champagne on his teammates and laughing. his nights are busy, filled with parties and clubs, pretty girls and people willing to give him whatever he wants. 

he awaits the next season and the rise into formula two, but he’s getting ahead of himself. late nights spent partying before the race take their toll on him, and his sister says it best. “you shouldn’t go out there,” she says. “i have to go out there. it’s fine, i’m just a little hungover. besides, it’s raining today. i have the advantage.” but he never learns.

ricky crashes hard, lucky to get off with a tbi and some broken ribs, but the drugs in his system render him a pariah and no one will really want to sponsor him after that. everyone had high hopes for him, but now he just looks like another stupid kid. he’ll never forget the disappointment in his grandfather’s eyes. 

he spends most of the year blowing previous winnings.

after all of that bullshit, his grandfather sits him down. “you’re going to apply to gallagher academy,” he says. and that’s when he tells ricky everything, about his father’s profession, just like his grandfather’s brother and father before him. the legacy, the brotherhood, blackthorne academy, and ricky’s both riveted and horrified. “that’s what my sister got shot for?” 

ricky passes the test while the brotherhood still has its claws clenched tightly around the reigns of gallagher academy somewhere. he’s a good driver, the fastest, and he might’ve been the best if he wasn’t so irrational and drunk on his own pride (among other things.) 

before he can gain the skills to stop his father himself, someone else does. the news comes on ricky’s very first day of school: “dad’s been arrested.” and it’s like his whole world stops, because he always knew his father was bad, just someone else got to him first. 

PERSONALITY.

ADVENTUROUS: ricky is not afraid of risks, and actually, this is usually in a good way. he pushes himself to want and pursue fulfilling life experiences, so while he’s made stupid decisions, he never lets fear stop him from taking chances and trying new things, so he’s pretty open-minded 

CHARISMATIC: pretty good at putting on a smile and making himself likable when he needs to be, he has a nice smile and a good-natured spirit even if he can be a bit MUCH at times ! the kind of asshole that you can’t help but like anyway, he means well 

FLEXIBLE: one of his great strengths is his ability to go with the flow, it doesn’t change him around or turn him inside out when things don’t go his way, he’s pretty adaptable and able to adjust when there’s a wrench in his plans

SELF-DESTRUCTIVE: ricky has a habit of ruining things when they’re going good for him, he’s notorious for self-sabotage and it probably comes from a mix of feeling like he’s invincible so he pushes limits and because he’s almost comfortable in the label of fuck-up at this point, not wanting to get his hopes up too high

ENTITLED: whether he likes it or not, he comes from a good family and a past where most things have just been handed to him. so, while he’s worked hard, he’s never had to work...that hard. he feels entitled to success and certain things in life and he can be a bit of a dick about it, even out of touch with other ways of life. he tends to feel like he deserves things, such as his gallagher education or another chance at racing

SELF-CENTERED: apart from his sister, ricky very much puts himself first and can be a bit selfish. it’s mostly out of self-preservation, but most of his thoughts revolve around him. he actually puts a lot of pressure on himself, which is why he turns to unhealthy coping mechanisms and doesn’t look at how his actions affect others in his life

HEADCANONS.

when it comes to his memory loss, it’s pretty manageable. he keeps up with medication and IF he gets a good night sleep/eats well...it’s good on his brain. but sometimes he’s not so great about it! his most common habits are: putting something down and forgetting where he just put it, asking you a question he’s already asked, and he’s bad with names

used to be good at fighting games but now he isn’t and he still tries and it’s sad :(

as you can guess, he’s really bad at card games but he likes to gamble so he’ll just bet on other stuff. always ready to put money on the results of a sports game or something, loves to do fantasy brackets

really likes anime movies! watches a lot, but his faves are obviously redline, akira, princess mononoke, perfect blue, and ghost in the shell. he watches anime too and tbh probably a lot of anime i’ve never seen like naruto, one piece, and cowboy bebop. for my sanity please don’t talk to much about them with him bc i won’t know what to write.

loves to skateboard and snowboard, and is pretty good at it because really the main thing is confidence and he has plenty of that! 

loves to play pranks in class or on people, he’s got a whole repertoire of tricks he used to play on his nannies growing up and has no issue with playing them on a teacher with a stick up their ass

his primary coping mechanisms are 1) hating his father 2) cocaine and 3) acting stupid 

is bisexual and honestly doesn’t give a fuck! guys, girls, whatever, sex is sex and he’s gonna like who he likes. has never come out to his parents but has never known them well enough for it to matter. 

had a steady long term girlfriend but she broke up with him when he started to tank his future and started partying more, probably as self-preservation for herself and ricky feels guilty about how he treated her, doesn’t want to put anyone else through that

really likes german cars so it’s a bummer that he missed out on the berlin trip, he’s going to geek out and cry any time someone mentions berlin to him, he’ll be so jealous of their semester

has wicked good eyesight, 20/20 vision which is great on the track but he also has really good aim on a shooting range, he’s a pretty observant person as well 

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

BROTHERHOOD CONNECTIONS. Someone who also had someone close to them (likely a family member) that was also arrested for being involved with the Brotherhood by the strike team. Both Ricky and your muse are dealing with the shock of this together. 

FAN? SOMEONE WHO FOLLOWS RACING? Someone who watched Ricky’s rise and fall from grace by being invested in F1. It would make sense if they were a big fan of Ricky’s grandfather...and Ricky is the disappointment. Idk someone with predisposed opinions on Ricky. 

PARTNER IN CRIME. The two of them just vibe like immediately they both have the same chaotic energy and encourage each other’s recklessness to take chances and do stupid shit, are probably hilarious and can’t take anything seriously when they’re in the same room together, the kind of friends that other people can’t stand to see them together.

WHOLESOME FWB. They get along really well as friends and mainly just need to scratch an itch sometimes. None of that toxic shit, they probably lay around and talk about their crushes and are actually friends.

CONFIDANT. Late night rooftop conversations, this person can get Ricky to open up, is probably someone who is really chatty and comfortable with their own emotions and they encourage Ricky to be open about his. 

INFATUATION. Ricky doesn’t know your muse at all, just sees them in the hallway and thinks they’re super hot, probably an older and unattainable student that wouldn’t give him a second glance but he’s like...this is my future spouse. They just don’t know I exist. Has never talked to them and they might not even vibe if they ever spoke lol. 

ENEMIES? They simply don’t! Get along? Hate at first sight? They see Ricky smoking a blunt on campus and think he’s stupid irresponsible? He doesn’t remember their name when he should have? He makes a stupid immature comment that rubs your muse the wrong way? Any of the above, ready to fight at any moment. 

RACING BUDDIES. Another driver’s ed student who is willing to race with him after hours or practice together, they both wanna fuck the cars, they both are super competitive and bring that out in each other. 

OLD FAMILY FRIENDS. Their parents knew one another, likely on his dad’s (Blackthorne/spy) side, and they grew up closely. After the kidnapping happened, your character’s parent stopped speaking to the Alonsos and distanced themselves. Your character is probably the only one who knows about that part of Ricky’s past in any detail. 

GOT OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT. Ricky tried to flirt with your character but actually wound up pissing them off by seeming like an entitled white boy, which he is. He’s trying to prove to your character that he’s not so bad! This connection has nothing to do with feet I just had no better ideas for a name I hate feet. 

REALLY BAD SEX. your muse has ricky saved in their phone like [link]...prob a hookup that happens on one of the first days after he heard about his dad but...he’s fucked up and sad and he can’t get it up! It’s literally so embarrassing, maybe they’re both embarrassed, he wants to die when he sees ur muse around bc they saw his limp ass sad boy dick.

CAT AND MOUSE TYPE THING. essentially ricky has a bunch of attempts to flirt with your muse & your muse fucking hates it. Tom and jerry but like, if tom wanted to fuck jerry. I think of this gifset. 

[seasickbaby]

Heat of the Moment

prompt: She (for Liz) - Parachute // “how can the only thing that’s killing me, make me feel so alive”

pairing: Joel Pimantel x Reader 

warning: drinking, fluff and some arguments 

word count: 2.2k (I apologize for making it so long) A/N: hello babies this is for @cieloxcnco​ ‘s writing contest! Congratulations on 1k love, you truly deserve it! <3 feed back is greatly appreciated & I hope you enjoy the story! 

----------------------

You were six years old when your dad’s job relocated him to their headquarters in California. He had taken this opportunity to bring his family with him in order for them to have a brighter future. Being new in town, you didn’t know anybody and had no friends. During an uneventful warm sunday morning, you went outside your new home and saw your parents helping the movers unload the truck containing your new furniture. Already missing your old home you sighed to yourself. You walked to the front of your lawn to play with your favorite toy: a small white horse which you named “Caballito Blanco”. Lost in your own world you didn’t notice the little boy that had approached you until he yelled hello in your ear. A little annoyed by the sudden interruption you looked up to greet the stranger.

“Hello?” you responded, sounding more like a question.

“Hi! I’m Joel Pimentel De Leon.” The little boy said proudly with a big smile on his face. He noticed how shy you were and, in an attempt to make you open up, he took out a toy from behind his back; it was a small blue horse similar to yours.

He reached it out in front of you, “His name is Caballito Azul. Here” he said softly, indicating for you to grab it.

You smiled up at Joel and carefully took the horse from his small hands into your own.

“Y/N.” You responded “My name is Y/N Y/L/N”.

The memory held a special place in your heart. Ever since that day, you and Joel had been inseparable; refusing to do anything unless it involved the other.

When Joel auditioned for La Banda you were backstage waiting for him with open arms.

He took you with him to rehearsals and you quickly befriended all of the other boys.

As soon as the news broke out that the band was going on tour Joel begged Ricky to let you tag along, promising you would help out and not get in the way; hence how you ended up becoming the group’s personal photographer.

Joel was your best friend and you loved him.

Which was why you your love for him was a secret you would always keep to yourself.

April 7, 2019

You heard a knock at the door and turned to see Zabdiel’s head pop in, eyes squinting, trying to find you in the darkness of your room. You smiled at how funny he looked and pat the spot next to you on the bed. He walked over with a frown on his face scanning your appearance: big hoodie and spandex on, messy bun and blankets all around you.

“Que haces?” He asked, flopping down next to you.

“Catching up on some shows” You responded, offering him some of the popcorn you were munching on. He grabbed a handful and tried pop them all in his mouth at once, but epically failed, spilling it everywhere.

“You know we’re leaving in an hour for the party right?” He looked over at your not-so-ready-self. You popped a popcorn in your mouth and gave him a smiling nod before turning back to the TV screen in front of you. Getting frustrated by your lack of reaction he took the remote from your lap and turned the TV off.

“Hey!!! Rachel was about to confess her feelings for Ross, give it back!” You said with a pout.

“No estas lista y ya mismo nos vamos!” He held the remote above his head and out of reach from you. You tried tackling him and, much to your surprise, he actually lost his balance and you both tumbled to the ground; he broke your fall by landing with you on top of him.

“Ay dios mio mami!” He breathed out in between laughs.

After somewhat catching your breath from laughing so hard you stole the remote back and pressed play.

“You make a good cushion” You attempted to be funny but mentally kicked yourself after realizing how cringy you actually sounded. He grabbed your waist chuckling and looked at you in the eyes.

The moment was interrupted by the door suddenly opening.

“Yo Y/N do you know where my bandana--- what the…” Joel trailed off when he saw his two best friends together on the ground. Clenching his jaw, he walked out as quickly as he had walked in, slamming the door behind him.

You honestly didn’t blame Joel for jumping to conclusions. If the tables were turned, and you walked in on him with a girl on top, you would have also assumed the worst.

But then again you were confused as to why he was so pissed off.

You cleared your throat and rolled off Zabdiel. You stood up and reached a hand out for him to grab. Once you both recollected yourselves he asked if you were finally going to start getting ready.

“I’m not going Zabdi” You crawled back on the bed but he pushed the covers off of you.

“Yes you are. You’re going to regret it if you don’t, it’s in a penthouse.” He rummaged through your suitcase trying to find you an outfit.

“I’m just not in the mood.” You whined but you knew there was no winning this battle. He threw a black tube top and white shorts on the bed.

“There will be free food.”

And with that you were off to the bathroom to get changed.

You couldn’t deny that the party was fun. You made a mental note to thank Zabdi for dragging your ass out of bed because, truth be told, you would have regretted seeing their instagram stories of them out while you laid in bed all because you were in a “bad mood”.

You danced with Erick, Zabdiel and Christopher the whole night. Richard had found a partner and was killing it in the middle of the dance floor. As for Joel… you actually had no idea where he was. You hadn’t seen him since the bus on the way to the party but you recalled him being quiet and on his phone the whole time.

Joel was upset. No doubt about it. After what he saw earlier tonight he assumed you were sleeping with Zabdiel and was trying to find a logical explanation as to why you hid it from him.

But that wasn’t the real reason why he was moody.

No.

He was upset because the thought of you with a guy other than him broke his heart. But you only saw him as a best friend and nothing more, which was why he would never confess his feelings to you; in fear that it would change the dynamic of the friendship you had cultivated for so many years. He knew that what you two had now was better than nothing at all.

So yes, he was mad. And you looking beautiful hadn’t helped his temper. The first thing he did when he got out of the bus was head directly for the bar. Although he was not much of a drinker, tonight was an exception, he started with some shots and a couple beers. A couple minutes later, he had a blonde sitting on his lap as he watched you dance from across the room, wishing he could be with you instead. 

After dancing el guachineo with Erick, you told the guys you were going to grab a couple of drinks. You started heading towards the bar when you caught sight of Joel out of the corner of your eye. You turned to walk in his direction, excited to have found him, until you saw a pretty girl sitting on his lap. Her hands were running through his brown curls and her lips were kissing his neck. She brought her mouth close to his ear and whispered something that made him laugh. At that exact moment Joel’s eyes found yours and maintaining eye contact, he tilted her head to slowly connect their lips. Your blood ran cold at the sight of someone else kissing the lips you longed for. But you didn’t have the right to be mad, he wasn’t yours, in that sense, after all. Blinking away the image, you continued your walk towards the bar. Grabbing the shots you ordered for the guys you walked back to the spot where you thought you had left them but they were nowhere to be found.

“Well the more the merrier I guess...” You said out loud to no one in particular.

“Pa’ arriba, pa’ bajo, pa’ el centro y pa dentro!!” You chanted alone and downed the shots that were not supposed to be yours. You were sure you looked crazy to everyone else but at that point you didn’t care. Feeling the alcohol start to hit, you started to let loose on the dance floor. You were enjoying yourself until you felt two strong hands grip your hips from behind. You turned to see who it was and was met by a pair of piercing blue eyes. The man who had started dancing with you was tall and handsome, his chiseled facial features resembled those of a model’s and those full lips begged for you to kiss them. So that’s what you did. You didn’t realize at the time how dumb you were being, but you were too intoxicated to care. One kiss progressed into a full on makeout and a couple minutes later he was dragging you to the bathroom. Joel caught sight of this and debated whether or not to get involved. He had seen you take multiple shots, but didn’t think you were wasted enough to actually hook up with a stranger in a bathroom. When he saw you had no intentions of stopping he started to get up but was immediately pulled back down.

“Where are you going baby?” The blonde failed at seducing him since he already had a determined look on his face.

“I have to go I’m sorry but it was a pleasure meeting you.” He responded as he got up and followed you down a narrow hallway. After pushing through the crowd of sweaty bodies, Joel found you pinned up against a wall as the guy you were with trailed kisses down your neck. With a small growl he intervened, grabbing you by the arm and pulling you away.

“We’re going home.” He spat out and you could see fury in his eyes.

“What the hell are you doing?” You managed to slur out as he dragged you out of the party.

“I’m calling an Uber and taking you home.”

“But I’m having fun” You protested with the sharp scent of alcohol escaping your lips.

“Y/N, you were about to hook up with a random stranger in the bathroom!” His volume raised with each word, leaving you angry and hurt. Crossing your arms over your chest you remained quiet. He wasn’t wrong, if he hadn’t interrupted you would’ve made a terrible  mistake, but you weren’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

The ride back to the house was long and quiet. No words were exchanged when you got out of the Uber other than a couple “thank you’s” to the driver.

Joel hurried in front of you until he noticed your trouble walking and came back, swung an arm around your waist, and basically carried you to the house. He may have been mad but he didn’t want his best friend to bust her face.

The sound of your ringer broke the silence, you looked down to see Zabdiel’s name and face on your screen.

“Of course.” Joel scoffed, catching a glimpse of the picture.

“What’s your issue?” You retorted, letting the call go to voicemail. Joel’s behavior was getting on every last one of your nerves.

“My issue,” He said as he stepped in front of you and looked you dead in the eye “is that I’m so incredibly in love with my best friend that pretending like there’s nothing there actually kills me.”

He hadn’t meant to blurt out his love for you. It happened in the heat of the moment. His face immediately turned a shade of red and he looked down at the ground, wishing the ground would swallow him whole.

There was a moment of awkward silence before you burst out laughing. Joel was taken aback by your reaction but it didn’t take long for him to join you with nervous laughter.

Seeing you smile and laugh so freely made his heart melt. He wondered how you had the power to make him feel alive even in the darkest of times and, somehow, managed to make him smile in the middle of an argument.

“Why are you laughing? It’s not funny…” He nervously said with a small laugh.

“Right, I’m sorry.  I’ll be serious.” You tried to put a straight face on but couldn’t help the corners of your mouth from creeping up. You couldn’t contain your laughter any longer so you giggled and covered your mouth. You finally calmed down after Joel’s hands dropped from your shoulders and you saw sadness show into his eyes. You didn’t mean to make him feel bad, you just couldn’t believe this moment was real.

Stepping closer and cupping his cheeks with both hands you brought your face close to his.

“It’s funny because I’m in love with you too.”

[rkwendy]

MGA S5: Team Polaris Meet CEO Seungwan | SOLO

Meeting and coaching team Nova solo for MGA S5

When Wendy was told she’d be a coach for the latest season of the MGAs, she had been ecstatic. After all, she has always wanted to give back to the competition that helped change the course of the rest of her life. She also wants to be someone the contestants can lean on in times of need. They all share this common experience of competing for that contract under the scrutiny of the entire county — rather, the entire world — watching them. Wendy had gotten in trouble for cheering for the contestants who went to the Nova building last time. It’s nice to know that she has permission from the producers this year. 

When she saw the final picks from Team Nova, she had been disappointed to see that not all her picks had been chosen. Though she may have had to refrain from laughing when she saw that Jackson, a good friend of hers, was among the contestants she was going to be coaching. 

Back then, she swore she wasn’t going to be as harsh as Ricky oppa; however, she found herself being stricter and having higher standards than ever. Wendy’s not going to lie. During the first run-through, she and Sunmi unni had actually exchanged horrified glances at how much practice the team needed. To make matters worse (in Wendy’s opinion), majority of their team needs to go through a singing boot camp. 

“Alright, listen!” Wendy says as she gets their attention when she drops by to check on Team Nova’s progress. “I noticed how you’re all just vocalizing as a vocal warm-up before you start practicing,” she says. “That’s great, but before you even think of making a sound, you also have to prepare the muscles that you’ll be using to make those sounds.” She does her best to sound cheerful as she looks each of them in the eye. 

“You want to start with moving your tongue around your mouth, as if you’re stretching it. Your tongue is a muscle too, so it needs the workout.” Wendy says as she gestures to her mouth area. She waits for them to follow her instructions before she continues talking. “While doing that, it’s also good if you massage around your vocal chords.” She demonstrates by massaging her own vocal chords. Something that she’s overlooked for herself suddenly occurs to her. “Ah right, it will hurt for some of you…” Her eyes dart among the five members of Team Nova until her eyes land on two people in particular. “Yewon! Changbin! Come here please.” As the two weaker vocalists of the team, Wendy decided to pay them extra attention. There’s no way they’ll be at par with Jackson and Seunghun in a week’s time, but she will make sure these two can stay on-pitch within a week. 

She tries controlling her laughter as she massages Changbin’s vocal chords. He’s looking at her as though she was murdering him. She almost feels bad, but she knows her vocal coaches went harder with her when she first arrived at Nova. “I’m not even applying a lot of pressure,” she says with a slight chuckle. “You need to relax. I’m not out here to murder you.” She genuinely feels bad, but someone has to do it. “If it hurts there, you’re probably very tense when you sing,” she says as she looks at him with some pity. The vocal chord massages do hurt, after all. After a little more time, Wendy decides to take pity on him and stop. “Keep massaging where I did it, okay?” 

Another issue Wendy had noticed was how unstable the team was when they sang and danced at the same time. With a song choice like theirs, they were going to go down if they didn’t do something about that fast. She decides to teach them another trick up her sleeve. 

“I noticed you guys could use some help with stability,” she says. She won’t name any names, but they probably already know who they are. “I know it’s not something many of you have naturally, so we’re going to fix that. See, breathing techniques for when you’re standing still are very different from when you sing and dance. Trust me, your future selves will thank me for this once Sunmi unni comes in.” She pauses as she looks at each of them straight in the eye. “Here’s what we’ll do. Go down on a planking position and sing ‘Run’ for two minutes.” When no one says anything, she continues talking. “It will demonstrate how your muscles are supposed to work while you sing.” 

In the middle of the week, Wendy decides to shake things up. “Run in laps around the training room as you sing,” she says without any emotion on her face. She’s aware of how bizarre that sounds, but it will have to do. “I’m not joking, you guys. This is to help you guys be able to get used to simultaneously moving and singing without going out of breath. Now, run!” She blows the whistle she brought with her to show that she really meant business. She also didn’t hesitate to call out anyone who was going off-key as they ran. “Sing it like you would on stage!” she shouts as they run past her. “Make yourselves get used to it.” 

There have been some improvements as the days passed, but apparently, there are some things that need a bit of fine-tuning. She goes over things with those who come for individual consulting after all three of them give their comments. She’s always willing to help anyone who asks. Seunghun, in particular, is someone she wants to help improve. She had believed in him and his potential. The fact he was willing to learn after she pointed out his mistakes improved her opinion of him even more. “You’re an amazing singer, Seunghun. There’s no doubting that,” she says after he asks her to clarify her point from rehearsals earlier. “That’s the reason I chose you for Nova. But the problem was that you were trying too hard to vocally stand out.” She looks at her notes before continuing, just to make sure she’s still on track. “You’re probably so used to singing solo, so you’re probably not sure how you’ll fit in with a team. And all the more, this is a survival competition, so I understand the pressure of needing to stand out all the time.” 

She makes sure he’s still with her before talking again. “But this is also a team performance, so balance is very important. You don’t have to go so hard at every line you sing. There are some parts where you just have to take it easy. You have to know which parts call for being the entree and when to be the side dish.” 

Wendy allows him to take it all in. It is a lot for someone who hasn’t been through any idol training, but Wendy just wants each of them to learn as much as they can from the experience. 

“I know you’ll figure it out. I believe in you, Seunghun.” She then holds up the lyric sheet. “Want me to sing with you? Just to figure it out?” 

As the rest of the days go, Wendy watches the team improve with help from Sunmi unni, Sungyeol oppa, and herself. Every day after each coaching session ends, she’s excited to go back to the dorm and gossip about the MGA contestants with the rest of the AND*ROMA girls. She would have loved to go tell Hugo, but he’s out of the country doing God knows what. Wendy hopes that the people representing Team Nova learned as much as they can from Sunmi unni, Sungyeol oppa, and herself. After all, it’s not every day that they get to share their knowledge and experience. All three of them have done what they could — technique training, motivation, torture, encouragement… You name it, all three of them have probably done it. All that remains is that the contestants are able to do well on stage.

“Team Nova, I’m counting on you.”

[h3llostrang3r]

I’ve got your back - (TRR)

Drake x Sophie x Liam

Song Suggestion: Mama said knock you out - LL Cool J

Word Count: 1,654

Warning: Mature - Language, fighting, sexual harassment.

Summary: From the @choices-september-challenge  prompt, “fight.” A story of what happens when; a duchess, a commoner, and a prince walk into a bar.

Notes: My fics are in an AU. Sophie is Cordonian born and comes from a noble family. A while back someone in the fandom answered an ask along the lines of, “If Drake and Liam were to get into a bar fight, what song would be playing in the background?” The blogger answered with the song suggested above, the answer stuck with me and this fic was born.

Cordonia, years before Leo’s abdication.

Sophie is visiting Liam and Drake at the palace , per usual, during her summer vacation. She’s had a fight with her mother on the phone and she needs to unwind. Not satisfied with staying in, Sophie convinces Liam and Drake to sneak out with her and head to the bar. After marching their way far enough from the palace they hail a cab. Everyone is dressed in casual clothing in hopes that no one will give the prince a second look, other than the ladies because they swoon every time without fail. As they arrive, Liam offers to buy the first round of drinks. Drake and Sophie claim the dart board while waiting for Liam.

“Promise to go easy on me, Drake?” Sophie bats her eyelashes up at Drake and pouts her already plump lips out. He locks eyes with her stepping closer to her with a smirk on his face. She tilts her head up as he comes closer, trying to maintain eye contact despite their height difference. She loses her pout as she unintentionally holds her breath. Her heart suddenly beating faster. She can smell his cologne and has the sudden urge to close the already small gap between them. Don’t forget to breathe, Sophie.

“We both know that’s not going to happen, Thorn.” His voice so low and husky, it sends a shiver down her spine. Hands in his pockets he forces himself not to reach out and stroke her flushed cheek and concentrates to keep his eyes locked with hers and not drift down to her soft, full lips. “What are you? One of the top 10 archers in all of Cordonia? I think you’ll be just fine playing darts.”

Tilting her chin up a bit more and rising up to her tippy toes, so her lips reach closer to his, she playfully smiles. “I’m pretty sure that’s top 5, but fine - I promise not to show off tonight.” Drake could feel himself gravitate towards her lips. The two are startled by Liam returning with the drinks. Sophie backs away a few steps and reaches for her drink, “Double shots of whiskey? Liam is not playing tonight.”

“Oh, they were ah - ahem. Compliments of the fine woman behind the bar.” Liam directs their attention to the bar where the bartender stands , eagerly waving at Liam. He offers her a nod and smile in return.

“Well, if it’s going to get us free drinks the rest of the night, I’m not complaining.” Drake grinned as he brought his drink to his lips.

Laughter fills their corner of the room, but after about 20 minutes of playing, Sophie is the victor. Having enough of Sophie’s victory dance, Liam and Drake head to the bar for another round of drinks, while Sophie gears up for a game of pool. Out of the corner of her eye she notices a sloppy male patron stumbling her way. She tries her best to focus on only the pool table in hopes he will take the hint. He continues to slur obscene pick up lines and clearly becomes agitated when Sophie doesn’t acknowledge him. Having placed all the pool balls in their respective places, she pushes the triangle towards the center of the table. The patron takes the opportunity to slide closer to her and his hand travels from her thigh to her backside.

Sophie finally turns her attention to the man with disgust and disbelief. She feels the hand being lifted off her bottom, but it wasn’t the man’s doing. She turns her attention further to see Drake with the man’s wrist gripped tightly in his hand and Liam standing directly behind the patron.

“I seriously doubt she gave you permission to touch her. You better back out of here real quick.” The anger in Drake’s voice rises with each word. There’s a crinkle in between his brows , the muscles on his arms flexing, and Sophie can’t help, but notice. Hot.

“Oh she wants it…” The man’s words are sloppy , but his intentions are clear.

“Sir, apologize to the lady then leave...” Liam’s stare is intense, subtly his chest puffs out, and his jaw clenches. Also hot. Fuck, how much have I had to drink? Calm your lady bits, Sophie.

The man turns to face Liam, “What are you, her mommy?” Before Liam and Drake can react, the man’s free hand turns into a fist and connects with Drake’s face. Liam grabs the man by the shoulder and throws a punch. The patron lands hard on the floor, not moving, but still breathing.

“Whoa.” Sophie’s mouth goes slack , eyes wide as they dart between Drake and Liam.

“Rickie!!” Several large men approach the trio and find their friend passed out on the floor. “Think you guys are tough, huh?” Sophie slowly starts to back away, making sure to grab a drink for each hand. The men slowly surround Drake and Liam pushing them back to back, and when they try to push forward, a fist from one of the men swings for their face. Drake and Liam erupt through the group of men trying to give themselves space in order to take them on.

Sophie knocks back one drink as she stumbles for the jukebox. “Where is it?” She squints her eyes trying to focus her vision on the tiny words on the screen. “I’m gunna knock you out…” She hums to herself , she finds the song she’s looking for. Pleased with herself she begins to sip the second drink looking for a safe place to sit. She notices Drake in one corner throwing punches and in the other corner is Liam, dodging attacks and tossing guys to the ground. Hhhmm. I’m horny all of a sudden, weird. Sophie is momentarily lost in her thoughts until she hears Drake cry out.

Slowly losing the fight, Drake is being restrained by one man with a cue stick against Drake’s chest while another man tries to punch him. Drake manages to dodge the first attack with a kick to the man’s gut, but a third man delivers a landing blow. Sophie finishes the second drink, trying to shake off the burn as she runs to Drake’s aid. She jumps onto the nearby chair, then table and leaps into the air landing on one of the patron’s back. Her legs wrapped tight around their waist and her arms snake around his neck keeping him in a chokehold. The patron does his best to fling her off, but she doesn’t budge. He starts backing up then proceeds to run into the wall, slamming her hard. Her back is in pain and her head is throbbing, but her hold remains tight. She starts to feel herself being lowered, he’s passing out. She lands on her feet as he slips to the floor. With all her might she delivers a kick to his ribs, hoping he’ll receive a bruised prize in the morning.

“Thanks, Thorn.” Drake manages to call out as she kisses the air and gives him a wink.

She runs to assist Liam next, adrenaline pumping, giving her a second wind. Another three versus one. Two men are holding Liam’s arms and the third is delivering the punches, or at least trying to. Liam is swinging the two men so hard they are having a hard time standing up, but they manage to hang on. This time she grabs one of the guys and forces them to face her. Her greeting is welcomed with a large fist to her face. Holy. Shit. Ouch, ouch, ouch. After stumbling back a few steps, she regains her balance and comes back with a single blow that knocks him out. With one arm free, Liam slams the second man on the pool table and clocks him in the face. The third man stumbles to the ground before picking himself up and running off.

Police sirens are closing in on the bar, Liam looks for an exit and his new friend behind the bar points him to the bar’s kitchen. He yells for Drake’s attention and points him to the direction , Drake searches for Sophie and finds her still fighting. He backs her out of the fight and throws her over his shoulder. Before Drake can get them through the door , Sophie bids the bar farewell with two middle fingers and a smile that slightly covered in blood. After making their escape, they hide in a quiet alley. Drake settles Sophie on the ground while Liam answers a phone call from one of the head guards.

“Damn Thorn, you took one hell of a beating. You okay?” Sophie closes her eyes and savors the feel of Drake’s thumb gliding over her bottom lip. She slowly opens her eyes and looks at him through her long lashes.

“I’ll live.” Her voice so low it’s almost a whisper. She reaches up and moves hair from his face and notices his black eye. “Whoa. Look who’s talking. That shiner is going to be a beauty in the morning.” Drake chuckles as he leans into her touch. They stay there for a few moments until Liam comes back with news of the royal guard coming with a car.

“Liam! Not you too.” Sophie cups his face in her hands and horror spreads across her face. “Your dad is going to kill you both. Then he’s going to send me back home to my dad, and he’s going to kill me.” She notices something in Liam’s shirt pocket. “Hey. Hey. What is this?” She grabs the paper from him and inspects it carefully. Liam hangs his head in embarrassment.

“Really Liam, the bartender’s number? Power to you but, I am so sure you’re dad would just looooove for you to be dating someone outside of the court. HA.” Sophie snorts at herself as she joins them on the curb as they wait for their ride.

[marshaeb]

P.S: I'm Mated With The Cursed Alpha!

Chapter Three

Hey guy! Don’t forget to Like, Comment, Review, and Follow for more updates! My apologies in advance for all the grammatical errors. Book will be professionally edited when completed.

During the ride to St Pete’s, we were like fugitives taking several shortcuts to avoid being caught by Mom’s coast guards.

I checked my bandaged arm for any sight of blood, feeling the slight pain running through its fractured nerves. Exhaling anxiously, I tried my best to calm my troubling mind until Sarah took notice of my injury, panicking behind the wheel.

“Jo’, what the hell happened to your forearm?” She panicked, glancing between me and the road with her pink lipstick in her hand.

“Calm down, Sarah, please! Focus on the road before you kill us both!” I breathed out.

“So was it true?” she asked. “Did you really get injured that other night?”

“No, Sarah! This was recent!” I argued. “And that’s some stupid rumor Chelsea and Eugenia made up about me.”

“Dang! those two are still at it!” She sucked her teeth, shaking her head slowly. “So...what on earth happened to you then?”

“Gileon and Talloc happened!” I said, and from there I didn’t need to explain any further.

“Oh!” She mumbled beneath her breath. “Can those two ever get along! No one would believe those two owners are best friends by the way they carry on with one another. Sorry about that Jo’... I bet it’s Gideon’s who did it.”

“I don’t know which one had done it. I was too caught up on trying to separate the two savages.” I said. “I even got stitches because of them, and it hurts like hell.”

“Well, you know if you had told me this before we left, I could of cancel out on the party.”

It’s ok, really.” I said. “I could manage, and besides, I’ve already gone through the trouble, sneaking out to go with you...and we’re already halfway there.”

“True...but there’s something I want to tell you.” She said as the sound of howls reverberated through the shadowy forest. “there’s this guy named Bobby.”

“W-who?” I said looking carefully through the tall trees as we sped past.

Those howls, there was something awfully strange about them. They were definitely none of our kind. It also didn’t sound like those from the Tariaki tribe. Something didn’t feel right about it. What else could possibly be out here tonight in this region?

“I said Bobby, Jo’!” She repeated, but I was too focused on the sound drifting our way.

The tiny hairs on my arm began to rise as chills crept over my body. Whatever was out there was on the same trail as us. All of a sudden, all the commotion seemed to have strangely quieted down. My focus instantly drifted back to Sarah, who patting my legs, calling my name over and over asking if I was listening.

“Joel!” She called as she turned the corner. “What is up with you? Are you thinking about Jackson?”

My breath caught in the back of my throat. Jackson, I had no idea if he’ll be at the party. I love Sarah, but the main reason I kept my word about going to the party, despite my injury, was to meet Jackson out there.

“I heard he’s already making the second rank.” She said as a proud smile curl on my lips. “That’s saying a lot you know.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, confusedly.

“Something or...someone had really boosted his stamina.” She teased, knowing just what to say to make me flustered. “I wonder. Who. Could. It. Be...hmm?”

“Alright, alright you got me!” I confessed.

“Did you let him have it?” She asked.

“Have what?” I rolled my eyes.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” She said provokingly. “Did you let him have the goodies?”

I choked on the air, widening my eyes by what she was the remark. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I lied, blushing ear to ear.

She gasped deeply, covering her mouth. “You did, didn’t you?” She exclaimed in disbelief. “And didn’t tell me! How was it? Was it good?... Did he make you cry, or even went all the way?”

“Gosh, Sarah!” I chuckled, turning up my nose. “What are you, a journalist?

“No, I’m not a journalist... I’m your best friend.” She said. “I told you the time I lose mines...”

“I was going to tell you eventually.” I sighed and paused for a few seconds, reminiscing on that magical night.

A tingling sensation came over me just thinking about the way he touched me. The way he kissed and caressed me. Why was I heating up like this? It’s so obvious that I’m new to all this.

“It was...very romantic and he was so passionate and gentle with me,” I explained, feeling my heart rate speeding up. “It really hurt at first, but after a while--

“It felt like paradise, I know. She added. “Every girl hurt during the first time. I did, but I managed to get over it quickly.”

“Do you miss him, Ricky?” I said.

She hesitated for a second and shook her head abruptly. “No! I’m totally over him, Jo’. Seriously.”

“And this Noah or Bobby guy?” I asked. “Who is he?”

“Bobby...He’s the physical education teacher at the school.” She blushed. “I caught him a few times looking at me like I was some sort of alien from out of space.”

“And...that’s a good thing?” I asked, furrowing my brows confusedly.

“Well... I guess because I ran into him in the hall and he was turning all red, fidgeting like a shy kid in front of a class.” She said.

“Do you think...you could possibly...you know...be his mate?” I asked.

“W-what?” She huffed. “Mom said the same thing! My mate? I doubt it.”

“Why?”

“Because...I... I don’t know,” she stressed, “I don’t know who my mate could be...not until I’m eighteen.”

“But he’s not eighteen,” I said. “More than anything, he would know, especially if he’s acting like that whenever you’re around him. You could always find out. Are you scared or something?”

“Scared? I-I’m not scared of something I can’t control, but I am nervous.” She mumbled. “I wish I was like you and Jackson. You two already know that you’re mates.”

I chuckled faintly as it grew quiet between us, thinking about me and him. Those same doubtful, insecure thoughts were resurfacing my mind again. I hated it so damn much. Why is it, no matter how much everyone says it, and how much Jackson preaches to me that we are, there’s still this slight doubt that keeps haunting me? The feeling always makes me depressed, because I don’t want anyone else to be my mate, but Jackson. And I would be devasted if he belongs to someone else. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I love him too much.

~~~~

As we arrived in the parking lot of St Pete’s Tavern, the place was overly crowded.

“Why are so many people here?” I asked as we drove slowly past the crowd of loitering people standing around parked cars. “This was only supposed to be a class graduation-party...”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean the place’s exclusively for us only,” Sarah explained. “They’re still open for regular customers.”

I sighed, completely over it before we even step foot into the building. I looked out my side of the window and glanced at the unfamiliar faces. Most were either from different schools or were out of school for quite some time.

Like any wild party filled with young people, the music was blasting up to its max with the sound of people screaming and shouting to the top of the lungs like the imbecile they are.

“I had a deep feeling we shouldn’t have come.” Sarah sighed, disappointedly. “We should just head back...call it night.”

Before she started up the car to leave, I stopped her and tried to reason with her, but deep down I wanted to see if Jackson was out here first.

“Come on, Sarah...” I said. “I’ve already gone through the trouble of sneaking out again, just to make it all the way out here to go back?”

“I know but...” She paused, throwing her hand in the direction of the party. “Look at this... I wasn’t expecting this!”

“I know, but how about this...” I said calmly, “why don’t we just take a look around and then...leave.”

After a few seconds of trying to weigh out whether to go or not, she finally gave up and agreed.

“Fine! Just a walk inside, then we’re out of here.” She said, turning off the engine.

As we exit the car a loud, perverted whistle was blown my way. Instantly, I felt the pit of my stomach churn. As Sarah locked the car door, she pushed me by the shoulders gently and said, “Let’s go. Probably one of those morons from Valley heights.”

As we near the entrance, the smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol was ramping in its hot atmosphere.

Sarah was following right behind me, when I suddenly paused, causing her to collide with me just before I stepped through the doors.

“Ouch, Jo’, what’s wrong?” She asked balancing her posture. “Why’d you stopped all of a sudden?”

There it was again. That chilly, dark feeling. It was now even stronger than it was before. What on earth could it be?

“I-its nothing...sorry about that.” I shrugged it off.

We entered the tavern filled with people, partying, dancing about, engaging in boisterous chatter. We shuffled through the packed floor. My eyes wandered everywhere with hopes to see any sign of Jackson, but instead, my eyes met hers, Chelsea.

How did I forget that she would be here too with her sidekick Eugenia and their clique of groupies?

“Wow, looks who’s here!” She shouted as they marched towards us. “Don’t tell me...”

“Did you sneak out the window again?” Eugenia concluded as they burst into laughter.

Chelsea tapped on her wristwatch provokingly, and formed a fake frown on her face, puckering out her bottom lip.

“Better be home before midnight, Cinderella.” She taunted. “Or Mama Alpha’s gonna have your neck like last time.”

I could feel my blood gradually starting to boil as they ran on and on. And the sad thing about it, nothing they said we’re lies. It was all the truth. Mom doesn’t have the slightest clue that I’m out and if she does she would definitely throw a tantrum and embarrass me in front of everyone like she always does.

“Hey, I remember that!” Eugenia said scornfully, biting on her stubby thumb.

“Let’s go, Joel!” Sarah said, pulling me back, but my wolf was to rile up to step away. I was ready to snatch her little throat.

“Who doesn’t?” Chelsea chuckled. “Can’t even go shopping with friends without Mama Alpha’s consent. I really pity you. I could never live with myself having a mother like that.”

“That’s enough!” Sarah said stepping between. “Leave her alone, Chelsea. At least she has a mother who cares about her daughter’s well-being, unlike yours!”

Anger and shamed immediately washed over her face as she couldn’t find the words to reply.

“Oh yeah!” Eugenia stepped into her defense. “At least she knows her real mother...you Joel don’t even know if your’s is dead or alive!”

Just like that, my mind went blank. Without holding back anymore, my hands lengthen into claws and I strike her hard across her face.

“Oh my goodness!” Chelsea squealed, supporting her whimpering friend. The folks standing nearby turned towards us as she continued to draw attention. “What the hell’s wrong with you? You had no right to put your hands on her!”

Together, they rushed Eugenia and her overdramatic gasping and wailing, into the lady’s room. Sarah too took me by the hand and escorted me to the bar to calm me down.

“Sit! You need to cool it!” She said, helping me onto an empty seat near the countertop. “What was that about?”

“Don’t you blame me...we were minding our business. They were the ones who started it.” I mumbled.

“I know...and she somewhat deserved it, but you might have hurt her really badly, Jo’. Then you’ll hear word going around that the Alpha’s daughter had struck someone at a party she’s not supposed to be to in the first place!”

Though she was right, I was too satisfied to feel bad about it. I had put up with their shit for far too long. At some point, I would have lost it and it just so happened to be that night.

“What would you ladies like tonight?” The bartender asked.

Sarah turned to her and ordered two martinis. After making and serving us our drinks, Sarah placed mines in my hand and said, “drink up, we leave right after.”

But I was too deep in my thoughts to finish mines as quickly as she did. I sat there, sipping my drink slowly, and stared blankly at the hectic crowd.

“Look, I going to use the restroom.” She said placing her car keys and pouch in my lap. “Watch them carefully, I’ll be right back and we’re off to go back home.”

When she left me there alone, my eyes wandered once more, hoping to find any sign of Jackson. By the looks of it, it’s seemed like he didn’t come out after all. I let out a deep sigh, clutching Sarah’s things tightly in my hands.

“Damn it! I should have known he wouldn’t be out here...” I mumbled. “It’s not like Jackson to go out without me knowing, anyway.”

As my eyes lifted and glanced across the room... settling on him.

No, it wasn’t Jackson. It was a very tall, strapping man with a face that was as if it sculpted from the Moon Goddess herself. But there was a dark, scary hint to it, sending shivers down my spine. I had never in my life seen a God-like man like that before.

Slowly, he raised his nose into the air which looks like it seems he was taking the most intense, exaggerated sniff I’ve ever seen.

His head almost instantly snapped in my direction. His eyes...those wild, golden eyes were steadfast and locked onto mines like I was the last prey on the earth. His long straight hair ran below his taut chest as he stood across the room.

All the laughter, chatter, and music had suddenly zoned out as we continued to exchange eye contact that was intensifying by the second. It felt like he was seeing through my soul, to my she-wolf within.

His postered was becoming more and more unstable as he leaned back in forth on his feet. Before I know it, he let off a loud, powerful howl that petrified everyone in the building.

I hoop off my seat, panicking like a madwoman, looking for Sarah through the raging mob.

I shouted her name as everyone ran to and fro throughout the tavern.

My eyes immediately turned back towards the unknown man and watched as he shifted into this gigantic black wolf.

My heart thrashed violently against my chest as I saw my life flash before my eyes.

The monstrous beast lowered its head growling loudly as it suddenly took off, sprinting towards me.

Right there and then, I knew this was the beginning of the end for me.

Read Chapter Four (Click the link below)

[miracleonicefanfiction]

#24 Rob McClanahan ft. #10 Mark Johnson & #9 Neal Broten

“Mark Johnson’s hell of a guy. Never thought I would say that.”

“What about Neal Broten?”

“He is a Mouse.” “A mouse? Would you mind explaining why?”

“Because he squeaks like a mouse. And it can get on your nerves. But you take him to McDonald’s, god help his health, and he is as happy as a mouse with a piece of cheese.”

~December 24th 1980, Lake Placid, New York, USA~

Rob sits down with the rest of the team for a Christmas dinner. It may not be what he is used to, spending holiday time with his family and fiancé, eating… eating good food in their company, but as he looks around the table, he sees twenty-one remaining players on the team, his second family away from home. Missing in their company is Mark Wells, who is recovering his injured ankle, but the team hopes he will be able to make a full recovery and rejoin them…at least until someone gets cut again.

“Earth to Mac. What is wrong with you?” Ralph Cox waves his hand in front of Mac’s nose, shaking the brunette awake.

“Nothing. I was just thinking…” “Hope that didn’t hurt you too much,” Mouse quips from the other side of the table and grins as Rob glares daggers at him: “Careful with your words, Mouse.”

“Come on, Ricky, you know how it usually ends for you when things get too rough. If you don’t remember, ask your teeth,” Suter chuckles and ignores Mac’s glare. Magic next to Rob puts hand on his linemate’s shoulder: “Mac, ignore them. They are pranking you.”

“Thanks, Magic… at least someone normal ‘round here.”

“Now you are insulting us, Ricky,” Steve Christoff teases his old high school rival. Mac sighs in response – not that he doesn’t like them, they are a great bunch of people to hang out with and to share the ice with, but sometimes, he misses the normality of his every day life in Minnesota, the teammates he has known for ages, his family, who has been supporting him through thick and thin, his fiancé who he was intending to spend Christmas with. He even misses the lake behind his home, where he grew up. That frozen water he learnt to skate on, holding on to a chair to keep his balance.  

“Seriously, what is wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

He glances over at Magic, who smiles at him, letting him know he understands his struggle. Despite being formal rivals, two brunettes get along better than anyone would expect. Could be some personality traits they share, but they both know it’s something more than that. And mutual understanding is just one of the reasons why they are jokingly called “a power couple”.

“Then stop being such a sour wolf,” Riff sighs.

I will give you a sour wolf, Rob keeps his thoughts to himself. He finishes his dinner quietly. Staying true to his polite nature, he doesn’t leave the table right away and waits for the toast, adding a little something himself. Then, he finally excuses himself and heads towards the room he shares with Magic Johnson. It doesn’t take long for his partner in crime to join him, sitting on his bed: “Is it about Debbie?” “Not just her. Everyone back home. It was a tradition for me to come home for Christmas and spend some time with them.”

“I miss my family too, Robbie. But you know what makes it a bit easier for me?”

Brunette looks up at him and sits on the his bed, leaning his back against the wall: “What?” “The thought of them seeing me in Lake Placid. Being with them after the victories and, as much as I hope that won’t happen, after defeats.” “Have I ever told you Debbie never liked hockey, actually? And she didn’t know who I was. Which was one of the reasons I fell for her. And because of her brain, she is the smartest girl I have ever met.”

Mark laughs: “About a thousand times, but it’s fine. I understand.”

“Thanks, Magic. You are the only sane person here.” “Careful, you don’t want the others to hear you.”

“Yeah, I don’t want that. I wanna get married after the Olympics, move in with Debbie…”

“She agreed to move with you wherever you go?”

“She did. And her parents gave me their permission to marry her. But we are a bit worried what the life there will bring.” Magic sits down next to his friend: “I know you will find the way to make everything work.” “You think?” “I know, Rob. It’s obvious how much you love her.”

Magic man’s Minnesotan friend blushes slightly: “Is it really that obvious?” “Yeah. It is. But I think that’s how it should be.”

“Thanks, Magic. You are a helluva guy, even though you are a Badger.” “Don’t get too cocky with your championship rings, Robbie.”

First game in the year of 1980 takes the team to Indiana, where they face the Indianapolis team. Mere three days after the New Year’s celebration takes tool on almost everyone on the team, including Rob McClanahan, Mark Johnson and also Neal Broten, or as Rob calls him, Mouse. Nineteen-year-old sat down next to Rob when they left Minnesota and has been seating next to him ever since. Somewhere on the road, they both fell asleep and Neal’s head landed on Rob’s shoulder. Unfortunately for Robbie, a slight tiny trace of dried saliva ended on his team jacket. And he wakes up before Neal, realizing that.

“MOUSE!”

His yelp wakes up Neal, who first screws his eyes and then looks at his teammate still half asleep: “Yeees?” “What is your DNA doing on my jacket?” “What DNA? Are you still drunk?” younger Gopher sounds honestly surprised.

“I am not drunk, I just want to know what is your saliva doing on my jacket.”

Neal looks at what Rob is pointing at, then lifts his eyes to Rob again: “You really had to wake me up for this?”

When Rob says nothing, Neal sighs tiredly: “I am sorry for not controlling my body while sleeping. It won’t happen again.”

Rob smiles a bit and ruffles his young friend’s hair, knowing how much he hates when his hair is getting messed up by anyone. Neal groans in annoyance and tries to swat Rob’s hand away: “Can you stop it?”

“Lemme think…no. You drooled on my sweater and you still squeak, so you deserve this.” “I do not!” “You squeaked again,” Rob sighs, ruffling Neal’s brown hair even more, which causes a brunette to furrow his eyebrows in annoyance.

On the ice, some Indianapolis’ players soon become annoyed with Magic’s waltzing on the ice and making their defense look like amateurs. And with Rob and Silk on the same line, Herb really put his magical line on the ice. But Neal’s game is stellar as well, the second youngest guy on the team playing the game of his life. And that is too much for a few of Indianapolis Checkers’ players as twenty-one-year-old Dave Cameron targets Magic. He checks him high and hard, aiming for his throat. Rob doesn’t hesitate a second, even though he is not much of a fighter, but the guy was targeting his best friend on the team, a guy he never thought he would get so well along. Rob pulls Cameron’s jersey: “What is your problem?”

“Who the hell are you?” Rob shoves him, feeling the anger flow through his veins: “Rob McClanahan and Mark’s teammate.” “Should that tell me anything. You are a no one. A no one. And this fancy jersey is just a cover. To hide untalented son of a bitch.”

“Hate to ruin your fantasy, but I have more talent than you will ever have.”

“Anyone could take your pathetic spot. And this Johnson guy…he had it coming.”

His words finally tip Rob off and he finally drops his gloves, something he hasn’t done in a while. He gets into a fight with another player. Even though he hasn’t fought in ages, he puts Cameron on the ice and the two angered players are finally separated. A tiny bit of blood is seeping from the corner of Rob’s lip and his right eye is surrounded by dark purple bruise. But it doesn’t matter to him. Even sitting five minutes for getting into a fight is the price he is willing to pay for standing up for his teammate and his friend.

After the game, Jack O’Callahan steps to him and chuckles: “I never thought I would see you fight.” “Because I didn’t fight you in Colorado, it doesn’t mean I don’t fight.”

“For someone, who has almost zero experiences, that was a good fight. Not great, but acceptable.” “It wasn’t about the fight. That prick targeted Magic…” “The point is, Candyass, that I am maybe proud of you for finally growing a pair.”

Blue-eyed dirty-blonde approvingly pats Rob’s shoulder and walks back to his stall. Rob realizes he never thought he would get a pat of an approval from a guy, whom he hid his wallet from when they met for the first time in the locker room. He actually tucked his wallet into his shoe to hide it from a dangerous-looking hockey player from Charlestown.

Next to approach him is Magic: “Mac, you didn’t have to get into a fight for me.” “He targeted you. For no reason.” “I appreciate it, but what you did was…” “A thank you would be enough.” “Thank you, I really appreciate what you did for me, but…” “You are my teammate and my best friend here. You would do the same thing for me, right?” With a small smile, Magic answers: “I would. Thanks, Robbie. Especially since neither you or I are fighters. So this means even more to me.”

~August 1980, Rob’s wedding~

“Are you nervous?” Mark Johnson asks his former linemate and a good friend from the Olympic Team, Robbie McClanahan. It’s a hot August morning and it’s the day for Rob and his soon-to-be-wife, Deborah.

“Why would I be? It’s just a wedding…” tall brunette looks at his friend, who has just gotten married a few months ago. But he can’t fool him, they have been teammates for eight long months and soon after meeting, became also good friends. And not to mention, their friend from the U, young and excited Neal Broten, who has known Rob for a bit longer.

“Mac, you are super nervous. Can you believe Debbie even went out with you?”

“What are you trying to say, Brots?” Rob’s brown eyes now focus on cherubic-faced center from Roseau, Minnesota, who only grins: “Nothing at all, nothing at all.”

“Don’t mind him, he is still just a child. Wedding is probably still out of question.”

“That’s what you think,” Neal mumbles, but says nothing more when the two of his friends turn to him.

“Neal, did you say you are planning to get married….” “Yeah. But, tonight’s about you and Debbie.”

“Just tell me one thing: any ideas how are you going to propose? I started thinking about it a year before I proposed.”

“I know for sure I won’t go down on one knee.”

“But…” “I think I am just going to buy her a ring. And tell her I believe we should get married.”

Two older men look at twenty-year-old, their expressions nothing but masks of disbelief.

“So you won’t even ask her?” “Of course I will. But first I have to talk to her father.” Magic pats Neal’s shoulder: “I did that before I proposed to Leslie, it makes a good impression.” “Sorry, Magic, but I won’t ask her for her hand. Well, I will, but first I have to tell him I am not marrying his daughter before we move in together.”

“Are you…are you serious? And is Susie willing to cope with your, pardon my language, bullshit?”

The debate is interrupted as Rob’s mom enters the room: “I still can’t believe my little boy is getting married. And with such a wonderful lady like Deborah is.”

She ruffles her son’s brown hair, making him groan in annoyance. She knows how much he dislikes having his hair messed up, yet she still does it. Just to annoy him, like everyone else.

“Mother, you know I don’t like this.” “I know, but your father and I are so proud of you. Such a remarkable young man, don’t you agree?” she looks at Magic and Neal, who are now both trying to hide grins.

“Robbie is a great guy and a teammate,” Magic nods and pats now blushing Rob’s shoulder.

“And he looks amazing in a tux,” Neal continues, trying to keep straight face.

“Mom, can you leave us alone? Please?” Rob looks at his mom with pleading eyes. She knows how much he doesn’t like being exposed like that, but she still likes to embarrass him like that time to time. Now she looks at him and kisses his flushed cheeks before leaving the room: “I will see you at the wedding, Robbie. Remember, your dad and I are so proud of you.”

As soon as the door close behind her back, Rob looks at his friends, who barely keep straight faces.

“Don’t you dare to say a word…”

“W-We weren’t planning to,” Neal mutters, trying hard not to burst out laughing.

“Magic, can you lock him in the bathroom, please?”

“Oh, come on, Rob, we are just trying to ease up the tensions a bit.” “What tensions? I am not tense…” Magic takes a glass from Mac’s hands and looks at him: “You’ve had enough of those. And yes, you are tense. Relax a bit, you have been with Debbie for so long.”

“I am not tense.” “You are. Rob, trust me, getting married might be a big step, but it’s worth it. Believe me, I couldn’t be happier with Leslie.” “Because you have been dating since high school. I don’t want to make a mistake, I want this day to be perfect.” Neal realizes it’s not the time for jokes, that his friend needs his support now more than ever: “And it will be, Robbie. You and Debbie are meant to be. Don’t worry, everything will be perfect.”

Rob sighs and fights the urge to ruffle his hair once again: “I really hope so. I just hope Debbie will like the ceremony.” “Stop worrying already. Believe me, once you see her in her wedding dress as she walks down the aisle, you know you have made a right choice.” Unexpectedly both Magic and Mouse hug Rob, who returns them a hug without hesitation.

“Thank you so much. It means a lot to me to have you here.”

“No problem, Rob. You are our friend and Debbie is a great girl.”

Rob looks at both of his friends again. The Olympics were truly a great experience. 

[newsbiteswithjennysok]

July 30, 2019

1. It's been a good year for Brie Larsen. The ups weren't without some downs though, calling off her engagement to musician Alex Greenwald in January.

But it appears she's moved on as she was spotted Tuesday locking lips with a handsome mystery man.

The new couple then took their romantic outing to a theater in Malibu, where Larson had a bouquet in hand from the market.

Larson got engaged to 39 year old Greenwald in 2016 after several years of dating.

In January, a source close to the couple told People: 'They have taken a step back from their engagement for the time being but they remain close.'

2. According to Entertainment Tonight, Cabello, 22, and Mendes, 20, are a definitely a thing and they've 'really fallen for each other.'

The 'Never Be The Same' hitmaker has sparked speculation that she and her 'Senorita' collaborator are dating after they started spending more time together following her split from 32-year-old love guru Matthew Hussey last month.

And, although they were initially claiming they were just friends, she and Shawn are reportedly 'committed to working on a relationship.'

'Shawn and Camila originally were just enjoying spending time together and having a summer fling. Camila had just got out of a relationship and Shawn was in the middle of a massive tour,' a source told ET.

'However, Shawn and Camila have really fallen for one another.'

3. Tanoai Reed spent nearly 20 years as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's stunt double.

He's stood-in on The Scorpion King, Fast & Furious franchise, Hercules and more.

The Hawaiian, 45, has broken bones, torn ligaments and severe muscle damage.

Reed, 6ft 3in and 260lb, has to mirror Johnson's exercise routine and diet.

The pair's favorite cheat foods are pizza and doughnuts and share food spots.

Johnson even bought him a new truck last year in an emotional video.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's stunt double of nearly 20 years has revealed their exercises routines, diets and the favorite unhealthy snacks they both indulge in.

In between films, Reed recommends taking long periods without exercising specific areas in order to let muscles and other injuries heal.

He keeps his physique in check with stretching and yoga to ensure the muscles remain loose.

Each routine changes every couple of months, he told the site, and for every sessions they spend up to 1 hour 30 minutes training one specific body part.

'You’re not going to get more results from staying in the gym,' Reed told the site.

'You’ve got to work out the muscles, then rest and recuperate. That’s when you make your gains, is the rest time.'

Johnson has a chef preparing his meals for a new role, 'weighing out to the ounce,' counting his macros and ensuring he eats every two hours.

Meanwhile Reed who does not have access to the same facilities, often uses 16-hour intermittent fasting, where he will only eat for eight hours of the day.

He also revealed that while they work hard they play hard too, with both of them sharing a strong passion for their two favorite unhealthy snacks.

Reed said: 'Dwayne and I share a love for donuts. He’ll actually get donuts from certain places and send them to me, or bring a box to set from somewhere else.

'Pizza too. We’ll always share our newfound pizza and donut spots with each other.'

4. Tarek El Moussa was 'spotted kissing' reality star Heather Rae Young, 31, in Redondo Beach this weekend, who looks shockingly similar to his ex-wife Christina Anstead.

The 36-year-old home renovation expert looked cozy with his new lady love, a former Playboy Playmate with golden blonde hair and a deep tan.

5. Jason Momoa is fine with a little flab. The hunky matinee idol was photographed shirtless earlier this month on vacation with wife Lisa Bonet in Italy as online users commented on his fuller appearance.

'Oh, that's alright,' the laid-back Hawaiian native, 39, told TMZ on Tuesday. 'No, not at all,' he added when asked if the negative attention bothered him.

And the carefree answer came after the handsome hunk was reunited with his Game Of Thrones costar Emilia Clarke at his surprise 40th birthday party on Saturday.

6. Hannah Brown got engaged to Jed Wyatt on the season finale of The Bachelorette on Tuesday, but quickly dumped him after feeling betrayed.

The 24-year-old former beauty queen after getting engaged to Jed, 25, learned that he lied to her about having a girlfriend immediately prior to the taping of the show.

'I am not with Jed anymore,' she told host Chris Harrison, 48, as she filmed the show's follow-up After The Final Rose in a Los Angeles studio.

To truly close the book on the relationship, she then asked his competition, fan favorite Tyler Cameron, 26, out on a date.

The revelation that Nashville singer/songwriter Jed had been dating someone right before he met her had totally devastated Hannah, and made her wonder whether he had simply used her to promote his career.

7. The backlash against Quentin Tarantino‘s latest film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” has gained a new voice: Bruce Lee’s daughter.

Shannon Lee spoke out to The Wrap in an interview published Monday, saying she was disappointed with the way Tarantino portrayed her father in the film.

“He comes across as an arrogant a–hole who was full of hot air,” Shannon said of her father’s portrayal in the film, which she saw Sunday.

In it, Bruce (played by Mike Moh) trades insults with Brad Pitt‘s stuntman character Cliff Booth, and the pair eventually engage in a best-of-three brawl, which ends in a draw before being interrupted.]

“I can understand all the reasoning behind what is portrayed in the movie,” Shannon said. “I understand that the two characters are antiheroes and this is sort of like a rage fantasy of what would happen … I understand they want to make the Brad Pitt character this super bad-ass who could beat up Bruce Lee.”

8. Goop director of brand partnerships and Instagram influencer Marissa Fuchs, whose “surprise” engagement — complete with a pitch deck sent to brands — went viral, has “been exiled” following the arguably tacky stunt, according to a source.

Page Six heard fashionistas tittering in the Hamptons this weekend that Fuchs — who goes by the handle @fashionambitionist on the social platform, where she has 184,000 followers — had tried to attend a party hosted by H&M at Crow’s Nest on Thursday in Montauk, LI.

“She wasn’t invited and was turned away,” says a source. “She’s been exiled.”

But a source close to Fuchs insists she was at the spot with pals for dinner, and spontaneously decided to go down to the lake — where the bash was held — to have a drink with a view.

“It was a private event, and she asked to go in for one drink and the guard told her, ‘If I let in one person, [I] have to let in 20.’”

A rep for H&M told us “This was a very intimate private dinner with a set capacity. We always welcome new friends to the brand and would love to include her in future events.”

Fuchs gained international attention back in June when she was sent on a multi-day scavenger hunt to find the spot where her then-boyfriend, Gabriel Grossman, planned to propose to her.

It was later revealed that the proposal had been pitched to brands to have their products involved months before Grossman surprised Fuchs by popping the question.

9. It’s a big news day for Real Housewives of Atlanta exes! Earlier today we shared the news that Phaedra Parks’ ex-husband Apollo Nida has been re-released from federal prison in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Kenya Moore’s troubled ex Matt Jordan has seemingly balanced the karma jail scales by getting arrested in Arizona after allegedly punching his girlfriend in the face in a Denny’s parking lot.

Matt (full name Matthew Jordan) was arrested in Pinal County, Arizona on Saturday and booked on multiple charges that include aggravated assault, theft, and threats/intimidation with damage to property. He was also charged with trespassing from an outstanding warrant in nearby Maricopa County from an incident in early April.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, the altercation was between Matt and his girlfriend Valerie Bell. Valerie alleges that “Matt punched her in the face at a Denny’s parking lot in the early hours of Saturday morning — this in the presence of a second woman, who says she witnessed it go down.” It’s important to note that Matt is a trained boxer.

10. Numerous 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days fans were shocked to find out that Season 2 star Ricky Reyes was still married when he ventured to Colombia to date Melissa and then Ximena — the latter of which he eventually proposed to. And it may shock fans to know that even after all of Ricky’s ridiculous antics on screen, he and his wife Natalia are still legally married. However, it appears that won’t be the case for very long as Natalia officially filed for divorce last month, which included a protective order preventing Ricky from seeing their young daughter Kira.

According to online records, initially posted by 90 Day Fiance social media mogul John Yates, Natalia filed for divorce on June 17. The filing included the temporary protective order, which was signed by a judge on June 28.

In the filing, it is revealed that Ricky must have been accused of “family violence,” which he denies. The motion also states that Ricky was unaware of the initial court hearing, a claim that appears to be corroborated by the fact that Ricky was not officially served until mid-July. (Ricky’s filing states that he was served on July 16, while Travis County court records indicate that service was executed on July 19.)

Ricky denies that he was responsible for any sort of “family violence” in the motion, but he has suggested many times over the past four months that he’s done things he regrets — including his appearance on 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days. Back in March, everything seemed to be going well for Ricky after he quit drinking and smoking and began to focus on his health.

However, just a day after posting a positive update about his progress, Ricky checked himself into a mental health facility. “Officially lost it, my will and strength,” Ricky wrote the day he checked in. “Will be gone for [a] couple of days…I’m upset at myself for losing composure…Need to make finer adjustments…Bye.” The post was accompanied by a cover of the Trent Reznor song “Hurt.”

Ricky would later issue apologies to his wife Natalie and his former fiancée Ximena, although neither appeared to be very receptive to his contrition. “Delete that photo,” Ximena responded in the comments of his post. “I’m getting tired of your immaturity and desire to be noticed and appreciated and no one believes in your lies loser.”

[vanityeols]

The Children of War 〉Chapter 1

(Inspired by the Korean Drama, Descendants of the Sun).

🎶  CHEN(첸)XPunch(펀치) _ Everytime l 태양의 후예

“Doctor, am I going to die? Mom and dad won’t tell me anything. I’m scared.” As my team prepped her for surgery, I gave the little girl my most brilliant smile. “Do you know who I am, SooJung?” “You’re Doctor Lu?…” “That’s right. I’m Lu. I’m 25. The youngest surgeon to ever graduate from Seoul National Institute. I’ve cut open more patients than the oranges you opened in your entire life, and every single one of them survived. I made so many miracles, people calls me Jesus Christ!”. “Tsh, she’s lying”. Hanna, a 29 year old anaesthesiologist and also my best friend, said with a smile. “Well, just about the Jesus Christ part. Everything else is absolutely true. These surgeries have a 100% survival rate”. I smiled, holding SooJung’s little hand. “You hear that? As long as you are under my knife, you will definitely not die!” Her eyes sparkled. For the first time in that day they didn’t show fear. “Wow, you’re so cool! I want to be just like you when I grow up!” “Well, why not?” I smiled, presenting the most confidence face I could. In the operation room, there is no room for errors, no room for doubt. We are gods that try to make miracles happen, but we know within every God of live, there’s a God of death. Even if I’m the fastest and most skilled surgeon in the world, as long as I keep practicing, chances are quite big that one day, someone will die in my hands. SooJung yawned slightly, her eyes closing. Hanna looked up at me and nodded. That’s right. One day someone will die in my hands. But today is not that day.

“Lu?” Something warm and dry brushed my cheek and I stirred. There was a hiss and the sounds of footsteps scurrying closer to me. I heard someone speaking something, but I didn’t recognize who it was. “Did she just collapsed here?” Now, this voice. It was a tone that I could recognize anywhere. “Taehyung?” I blinked but my eyes felt so heavy. I couldn’t even recognize the faces before me. Shifting, I tried to lift myself up but my entire body gave out on the exact same spot. My cheek hit the floor with a little thud. Oh right. I fell asleep on the floor didn’t I? Together with my team, the surgery was a success. It had taken 8 hours of nonstop work. As soon as I left the operation room, I fell asleep on the corridor. “Good job Taehyung. You woke her up. It’s not like she needs to rest or anything.” I could practically hear Hanna rolling her eyes. Before my brain could cooperate with my eyes, I felt my whole body being lifted up. Strong arms held me tight against a equal strong chest. It was so comforting and warm. “Just go back to sleep, Lu”. Kim Taehyung, my boyfriend, also a surgeon, 25 years old, an incredibly kind, gentle and empathetic person. As Taehyung whispered against my ear, I could feel his chest rumble. It seemed like he was a giant cat. I sighed, nuzzling my face into his shirt. It smelled like our bed at home.

Falling asleep at the hospital is not uncommon. I’m the best example of that. I woke up a few hours later, in my small room at the hospital, shared by me and other two doctors. I was alone. I groaned and turned over, my face rubbing against the soft sheets. So smooth. “Hum? Ricky?” I grabbed the small teddy bear in my hands and smiled. “How did you end up here Buddy? I thought I left you at home.” Ricky is my teddy bear. I have it since I was like one year old. Finally, I noticed something on the table next to my bed. A note? I grabbed the piece of paper and rubbed my eyes before reading it. I could feel my face relaxing into a warm smile. Taehyung never failed to cheer me up. “Hey Lu. If you’re reading this, it means I’m still in the operation room doing the bypass. Ricky was so alone in our bed this morning, I had to bring him along. If you get home before I do, there’s chicken nuggets and rice in the fridge. It’s already in a container so you can just put it in the microwave. I love you, see you soon”. Instead of a signature, there was a chocolate placed on the side of the note. I smiled and touched my own cheeks. They were hot, I was blushing. It took all of my power not giggle and jump like a little school girl. Is this guy even real?

I ended up calling my best friend, rambling at her like always. “Who the heck does that? Seriously. I am in cloud nine.” “Just Mr.Perfect Doctor Dreamy Kim Taehyung”. Hanna said, laughing at the other side of the line. “He carried me to bed! And didn’t forget to bring Ricky and the bed smells like him, and he also left me a chocolateeee”. Hanna made a “ew” sound and I rolled my eyes. “I’m getting diabetes just listening this.” “Don’t be such an ass just because you are single hum?” We continued to talk and laugh while I walked towards the terrace on the last floor. It was a beautiful night. “It’s not fair Hanna. I feel like I don’t deserve him? He is like perfect, everything he does. What can I do to top this?! Our future kids are totally going to love him more than me.” I faked a crying sound, mouth full of chocolate.

Suddenly, and I swear to God I don’t know what happened, I heard a loud thump and a hiss, and a crying sound too…` It was one of those horror movie moments where everything seems to move in slow motion. “Who are you? Last time I checked this is the last floor. How did you get up here?” I asked horrified. There was a young man, with military clothes, with  slight tanned skin that glowed in the night. Shadows pooled under his naked collarbones, the muscles rippling under his bruised skin. BRUISED. Why does he seem like he just arrived from war? “I’m an angel. I flew”. I blinked a couple of times, looking at him. “Really.” His blood was dripping, yet he was smiling like nothing was wrong. Should I help him? But like, maybe he is some hallucination. I’m too tired lately, maybe it’s exactly what he is. “I heard your sweet voice and before I knew it, I was here. You’d be amazed at how efficient jetpacks powered by attraction are.” He winked at me, which resulted at me giving a step back in response. “You’re bleeding..” He looked down at the blood on his clothes and then back at me and shrugged. Like what? Doesn’t he feel any pain at all? Before I could say something, a crying sound arrived to my ears. “That's… That’s a baby on your back?” I stared at him in disbelief. He started unrapping the bandages that were tying the baby to him, using only one hand. I saw the other one was bruised, injured. “Oh my God, what is going on?” I asked desperate, as I helped him dealing with the baby, instinctively checking her over to see if she had injuries. “Come with me”. I said in a hurry, pulling him by his wrist.

We immediately arrived at my small bedroom on the fourth floor and I laid her on the bed, heaving a sigh of relief. “Is she alright doctor?” “She seems unhurt.” He gave me the exact same smile again. “I’m glad”. He was pretty weird. It was like he was bulletproof. “She needs a closer examination, but you…” Before I could finish my sentence, he lost his balance. Instinctively, I took a step forward my arms getting ready to support him. He held my gaze for a brief moment before collapsing on me. I stumbled backwards, taking his entire weight with my small body. I knew I should’ve take him to the operation room. His rapid breathing felt hot on my cheek. The tips of his dark hair tickled my skin. I could feel his blood seeping down through my white gown. “It's…cold..” His soft, trembling lips brushed against my ear. At that moment, all the events caught up to my brain. He was going into shock. If I didn’t do anything…this boy was going to break, for sure. A scream ripped out of my throat. “ANYONE. I NEED SOMEONE HERE, NOW!”

I could see what was going to happen next. Images playing in my mind. My team would be alerted. Nurses would take the baby. We would rush him to the operation room, stop the bleeding and replace his blood supplies, talk to him later to see what was wrong, and fix that too… Care for him until he wakes up, then tell him how cheesy his pickup lines were, and teach him some better ones. One day, someone would die in my hands. Today would not be that day.

[nettvnow-blog]

2017 IPF Trailer YouTube Round up

The IPF trailers are finally out which means that we get our best look at some of the (hopefully) upcoming web series in 2017 and beyond. IPF is a funding agency for Canadian digital productions and requires applicants to provide a trailer for their proposed projects. Not only is this a great chance to peak at where the Canadian industry is heading but it also means that us fans get a ton of new content to eagerly anticipate. As your resident Canadian grant writer and business affairs human, trust me when I say that these trailers can make or break the stage 1 portion of an application. 

So make sure you like and watch your favourites!

The IWCC-CIWC has done the hard work for me of compiling a list of IPF trailers which you can view here. So thanks to them!

With 66 videos on the list, there’s a lot of content to go through and we’re going to help you out with managing them. I’m going in blind to watch all the trailers once and then, as succinctly as possible, let you know what I think the upcoming web series is going to be about. Trailer only. No youtube descriptions or press or anything. Trailer only.

That’s right. I’m writing premises. What could possible go wrong?

Everything. Succinct is hard when the shows are this great. 

Zero Day – Kayla’s computer hacker brother drags her into a world where everyone wants the ‘encrypted crucible’ and are willing to kill to get it. (story occurs in real time)

Candiland – Candi with an I is a ‘probably straight’ guy who is experiencing his first time crossdressing like he’s always wanted.   

The Most Unpopular Girl at School – Told almost entirely through music playlists, facebook, and in-universe youtube videos, a high school student has an unflattering video leaked and must try to get it taken down.

Earthing House Huntress – A real estate agent decides to specialize in selling homes to aliens who are just looking for a place to belong here on Earth.

We Three Queens – A broke writer and his ‘rent boy lover’ move in with an elderly female widow.

Cam_Girlfriend – A Cam Girl tries to navigate a boyfriend who doesn’t seem to know her at all and her viewers who seem to know her better than he does.

Face Candy – Make-up counters are a cut throat business and the new girl needs to do whatever it takes to sell product. 

Grave Concerns – Two men with luscious beards have been hired to remove all dead bodies (new or old) from a town but it’s a little tricky when the corpses keep complaining about their grave-digging skills. 

#famous – A man seeks to create the best prank videos on youtube but runs into a number of problems with his real life responsibilities. 

Boring Girls – Three musicians discover that, for their dark music audience, shock value sells and start creating bigger and bigger scenes without caring if they become deadly.

Made With Love – A queer engineer is fired and decides to start a fashion line with her best friend even though she knows almost nothing about fashion. 

Wharf Rats – Set in PEI, two brothers dream of being fishermen and they’re just crazy enough to do whatever shenanigans are necessary to get a fishing boat.

Bad Life Choices – Two friends who really really like drugs and alcohol just keep making bad life choices. 

Cat Show – A girl puts on a cat show because she believes the rules of all the other cat shows, where her cat lost, are wrong. 

NarcoLeap – A girl has terrifying dreams that involve chasing, running and blood but whenever she looks in the mirror in the dream, she’s wearing someone else’s face. 

Life Coach – Despite her own life being in shambles, a woman decides to become a life coach and takes on a number of interesting patients. 

Cousins – Two snarky cousins are forced together and do not exactly get along.

Conversations For the End of The World – Radiation is killing off humanity and a father and son are just trying to live through the end of the world together.

Allie & Lara Make A Horror Movie – Allie and Lara are trying to make a horror movie; unfortunately ideas are easier than execution and their roommate is determined to cast herself as the lead.

Widow’s Web – Jennifer joins a group for widows over 60 and they end up taking justice for crimes against seniors into their own hands. 

Ran and Jaden – Two twenty year olds living their millennial life in Toronto.

SpeakEasy – In 1914, two men go into business with a shady character to get the money to keep their speakeasy and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep the cash coming. (based on a real life story)

Tight Knit – Two polar-opposite sisters take over their grandmother’s knitting store and knitting puns abound.

Little Piggies – Three friends put together dating video profiles to help podiatry doctor Katie find true love. 

Man Dog – A dog gets put into a human body and thinks he has the whole town fooled at how well we can play human but they all know. 

Late Fees – A Blockbuster employee can’t let go of the stores closing and starts to hang out in whatever random video rental store he can still find. 

Free Space – A small change is changing and the towns people are having trouble coping, so they turn to young Terry and his Bingo hall.

The co-op – A gay actor moves into a co-op with a bunch of artists across all genres and mediums who are all trying to catch their break.

Darkland – Strange things are happening like girls exploding and pig headed humans eating bloody fish and it’s scary.

Off Kilter – A choreographer comes back after 2 decades to work with an aging dancer and claim their comeback one last time. 

Boombats – Bobby opens an odd job business and the family has feelings about this. 

Blackout – A man starts having blackouts and memory loss and is terrified of what he might do but he’s not the only one blacking out.

Year – The world is ending and a father will kill anyone or anything who tries to hurt his son.

Valley Cats – An animated series where a former valley girl-cat becomes a reality tv star.

Climax, SK – An aging ‘James Bond-esque’ spy is forced to hide out in the small town of Climax, Saskatchewan where no-one believes he’s a spy.

Demo Time – A show about a quirky product demonstration sales team trying to sell the unsellable that’s literally pitched as a product demonstration. 

Kate – A small town girl moves to the big city of Toronto for the first time and wants to do everything she never got to do.

Masters of Bait and Switch – Three friends pull off a series of elaborate heists simply because they can. 

Rachel and The Dead -  A psychology student accidentally moves into an apartment that’s haunted by a dead guy.

Tokens – An on-call actress is always sent to auditions to fill the ‘token Asian’ role and is surprised to find herself cast in a role that doesn’t rely on her filling a diversity quota. 

The Rejects – A group of incompetent and quirky police officers are trying to work their way up from the bottom of the Toronto police ranks even as the Captain tries to deal with them. 

Hurry Up and Wait – Five best friends, all of whom are queer woc, struggle to navigate romance and breakups. 

Dominion – A detective noir series featuring supernatural humans chasing down a girl who has ‘Dominion’. 

Temps Double – A French series, Ben is a fast food worker who just wants to go home but the customers are making it difficult. 

Branded – Two girls try to sell branded content but after their star show dies they have to come up with a new smash hit idea as quickly as possible. 

Bachelor Daddies – Ricky, the smooth bachelor, lets his best friend Jay move in with him after Jay goes through a divorce

The Mavericks – In a dystopia, a teacher uses her dark superpowers bands with one of her students against the militaristic regime. 

P6HUT (Piche Hatt) – With a briefcase full of guns and money, a woman juggles multiple identities.  

Hit on Me – A paid assassin falls in love with his best friend and has to navigate killing people while navigating friendship hopefully becoming something more. 

Clairevoyant – Best friends are getting evicted and become psychics in order to make the money for their rent. 

Jib & Jab on a Quest – Jib and Jab are level 1 RPG mage and warrior characters who are trying to save the world and level up.

The Upload Series – An animated series about a rogue journalist leaking real news to the people despite the government’s outlawing of the press. 

The Vault – In this sci-fi adventure, humanity has to enter the vault to survive the apocalypse and the giant smoke monster that comes with it. (note: this is not 2011’s The Vault)

Act Up – A bunch of teenagers join or are forced to join the improv club and have to navigate high school. 

Rubbed the Wrong Way – This animated series stars two people who unlock a genie and can’t quite understand that he’s actually a genie. 

Imaginary Friends – To cope with her depressing life, Sally creates a number of imaginary friends who live in her head. 

Fak Yaass – Nico struggles to balance his sexuality with his disapproving Greek family. 

Dorian Gray – A man is hired by a mysterious employer and is drawn into a dangerous world after discovering that he’s working for the supernatural, immortal Dorian Gray. 

Witch Like Me – In this supernatural series, a witch fights a number of magical creatures.

Booby & Bogey – An animated booger lives inside the nose of a real life teenaged boy and they strike up a mentorship. 

Meld – Two people take a drug that is supposed to let them feel what the other is feeling but one of them gains the ability to meld with everyone around them and the creators of the drug are desperate to stop her. 

Wild Tales – An animated comedy series about aquatic life including a pregnant male seahorse and a penguin who wants to propose to his girlfriend.

Upheaval Times – A group of humans from the Medieval period are transported forward in time to modern society.

Interlude – Three women try and navigate their lives in the big city.

Gym Rat – Liz broke up with her cheater boyfriend and is now homeless so she starts living out of the locker in the 24hour gym and sleeping on the workout benches. 

In Search Of – Strangers join a facebook group to swap their un-needed items but end up making more personal connections until they’re not strangers at all.

So there you have it! All the great Canadian IPF 2017 trailers that we could find on YouTube. If there’s something that caught your eye, we’d encourage you to check out the trailer and lend it a view and a like to show your support. In addition, there are lots of great trailers on Vimeo and other platforms as well so be sure to check those out too!

Written by Aria Bauer